Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani is leading a high-level delegation to the 56th World Economic Forum in Davos, underscoring a strategic push to deepen economic diplomacy and attract foreign investment. The delegation includes senior government officials and 20 private-sector investors, a deliberate move to align political engagement with commercial deal-making.

Dr. Mohammed Shukri, Chairman of the Kurdistan Region Board of Investment, said the expanded delegation reflects a new approach in which every international visit by the Prime Minister incorporates a trade and investment component. The aim is to translate diplomatic outreach into tangible economic partnerships.

A centerpiece of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s presence will be the expanded “Kurdistan House,” opening for the third consecutive year. Sponsored by local investors and overseen directly by the Prime Minister’s office and relevant institutions, the venue will host meetings and showcase the Region’s investment potential.

The forum, running January 19–23 under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” brings together nearly 3,000 global leaders, offering the KRG a high-profile platform to strengthen its standing as an emerging destination for international capital.

The 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) will convene in Davos, Switzerland, from January 19 to 23 under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue," bringing together nearly 3,000 participants from 130 countries. The gathering will feature around 400 top political leaders, including 65 presidents and prime ministers, as well as six G7 heads of state.

The United Nations will be represented by Secretary-General António Guterres, alongside WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo, and UNHCR’s Dr. Barham Salih.

Global financial leaders will include World Bank President Ajay Banga, IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva, WTO Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann. Security and regional cooperation voices will feature NATO’s Mark Rutte and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassem Al-Budaiwi, highlighting the forum’s focus on integrating economic, political, and security dialogue.

The WEF aims to serve as a key milestone for international cooperation amid shifting global dynamics.

PM Masrour Barzani joins Trump, Macron, and 3,000 leaders at Davos 2026. The forum focuses on dialogue amid global shifts, with record government and tech participation.

President Donald Trump is returning to the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, reclaiming a global stage he has long criticized and reshaping it on his own terms. His appearance—the first in person since 2020—comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and renewed White House efforts to position the United States as a central broker of global power, peace, and commerce.

The visit offers an early reckoning with the second Trump administration’s first year, marked by an assertive foreign policy that has unsettled allies while producing tangible diplomatic initiatives. The President is credited by U.S. officials and allies with helping broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas and is now pressing for momentum toward an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Security discussions are expected to dominate Davos, alongside talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other G7 leaders.

Trump arrives leading the largest U.S. delegation ever sent to the forum, underscoring Washington’s intent to shape debate rather than retreat from it. Central to that effort is the debut of “USA House,” a new American hub in Davos designed to host events, court investors, and project U.S. influence.

While critics see Trump as challenging postwar international norms—from trade to alliances—his Davos return signals a determination to remain an indispensable actor in a fractured global order.

US president set to join dozens of world leaders and top executives at annual Switzerland summit amid ongoing global economic uncertainty.