Davos 2026: Geopolitical Risks Outlook for 2026

Progress is often assumed to be inevitable, yet history tells a different story. Periods of transformation have repeatedly shown how quickly momentum can stall or reverse. Carl-Benedikt Frey, Associate Professor at the Oxford Internet Institute and Director of Future of Work at Oxford Martin School speaks at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2026 on why some societies sustain progress over time while others see it stall. You can watch his talk here:  https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/progress-is-not-inevitable/ Coming soon: hear Carl-Benedikt Frey interviewed on our sister podcast, Radio Davos: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/carl-benedikt-frey-AI-work-jobs-economics Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

Digital embassies offer an emerging model that allows nations to extend sovereign digital infrastructure beyond their borders while maintaining control over data, compute and governance. However, establishing such arrangements requires political alignment, legal clarity and robust technical and operational safeguards. The Digital Embassy Framework, spearheaded by the World Economic Forum and co-developed with stakeholders, will provide a shared baseline for designing, governing and operating trusted digital embassies worldwide. This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/digital-embassies-for-sovereign-ai/ Speakers: Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital, Malaysia Government Cathy Li, Head, Centre for AI Excellence; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum Alexandre Fasel, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, State Secretariat of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

Leading AI nations are racing to preserve dominance while new contenders rise and others struggle to break dependence on foreign capabilities.  As alliances reshape the balance of power, how is AI redefining the path to economic growth and global influence? This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/ai-power-play/ Speakers: Brad Smith, Vice-Chair and President, Microsoft Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment, Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Minister of Railways, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting of India, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552  

As geopolitical tensions intensify, security considerations are reshaping economic policy, production and fiscal priorities worldwide. This session explores how governments are adapting to an era defined by conflict risk and strategic competition. How can economies meet rising security demands without sacrificing long-term growth and stability? This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/geopolitical-risk-outlook-for-2026/ Speakers: Jane Harman, Chair, Commission on the National Defense Strategy (USA) Eswar Prasad, Professor, Cornell University Wolfgang Ischinger, President, Munich Security Conference Foundation Council Elizabeth Thurbon, Professor of International Political Economy; Director, Green Energy Statecraft Project, University of New South Wales Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

An unpredictable operating environment is weighting on global growth and traditional engines such as trade are expected to expand by just 0.9% in 2025. With debt-to-GDP reaching a record 95%, there is increasingly limited space for leaders to make drastic policy and operational changes. At the same time, AI is emerging as a key driver of growth in some economies, improving productivity, enabling new business models and accelerating innovation across industries. What will be the new sources of growth and how can we ensure that the benefits are shared broadly? This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/how-can-we-unlock-new-sources-of-growth/ Speakers:  Marc Benioff, Chair, CEO & Co-Founder, Salesforce Thomas Buberl, Chief Executive Officer, AXA Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer, Alphabet and Google, Google Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Group Chief Executive Officer, Mubadala Investment Company Francine Lacqua, Editor-at-Large and Presenter, Bloomberg Television Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

In an era where competition among rivals can quickly veer towards consolidation into giants, founders and entrepreneurs can struggle to align their vision with strategy while also scaling for growth. This is the full audio from a session at the Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Watch it here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/what-it-takes-to-build/ Speakers:  Steven Bartlett, Entrepreneur, Investor, Host of Diary of a CEO podcast Jessica Lessin, Editor-in-Chief and Founder, The Information Bret Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Sierra Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Recent developments in Venezuela are likely to impact the country's economic trajectory with regional and global implications. Join an experts' discussion to unpack the impact of these changes and the potential paths forward. Speakers: Ricardo Hausmann, Jeffry A. Frieden, Jason Bordoff, Sir Robin Niblett, Ngaire Woods This session was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland, 23 January, 2026. About this session: Watch the livestream of this session here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/venezuela-what-next/ About this episode:  Related story: https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/01/venezuela-what-next/ About the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos:  https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/ Radio Davos Daily Meet The Leader's sister podcast Radio Davos will be publishing live from the Annual Meeting in Davos. To listen to these episodes, follow Radio Davos here: https://open.spotify.com/show/36D1oLAmsRimw70XV19Cdf

The global economy is expected to grow by ~3.1% in 2026, but trade tensions, technology deployment, public debt and the risk of asset bubbles leave policy-makers and markets on high alert. What policies will anchor confidence while unlocking longer-term productivity gains? Speakers: Albert Bourla, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Christine Lagarde, Andrew R. Sorkin, Kristalina Georgieva, Mohammed Al-Jadaan This session was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland, 23 January, 2026. About this session: Watch the livestream of this session here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/global-economic-outlook-af4fed3639/ About this episode:  Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/agenda-dialogues/davos-2026-global-economic-outlook About the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos:  https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/ Radio Davos Daily Meet The Leader's sister podcast Radio Davos will be publishing live from the Annual Meeting in Davos. To listen to these episodes, follow Radio Davos here: https://open.spotify.com/show/36D1oLAmsRimw70XV19Cdf

Infrastructure, food systems and natural resources are all affected by climate change. While nature loss poses significant economic and environmental risks, nature-positive models could unlock trillions for the world's economy. How can we sustain, and even augment, growth while also remaining within the planet's boundaries? Speakers: André Hoffmann, Johan Rockström, Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, Sumant Sinha, Ramon Laguarta, Andrew Forrest Watch the livestream of this session here: https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/sessions/how-can-we-build-prosperity-within-planetary-boundaries/ This session was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland, 20 January, 2026. About the 2026 Annual Meeting in Davos:  https://www.weforum.org/meetings/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2026/ Radio Davos Daily Meet The Leader's sister podcast Radio Davos will be publishing live from the Annual Meeting in Davos. To listen to these episodes, follow Radio Davos here: https://open.spotify.com/show/36D1oLAmsRimw70XV19Cdf

At the Annual Meeting 2026, we asked the World Economic Forum's interim co-chairs, Larry Fink and André Hoffman, about their vision for the future, hopes for what Davos 2026 will achieve, why dialogue is more needed than ever, and reasons for optimism. Catch up on all the action from the Annual Meeting at wef.ch/wef26 and across social media using the hashtag #WEF26. And follow Radio Davos wherever you get podcasts to get our daily morning shows every day of the Davos week, starting Monday, 19 January. Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub