World Economic Forum in Singapore cancelled due to uncertainties caused by COVID pandemic

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Special Annual Meeting in Singapore has been cancelled. This was announced by the organisers in a statement on Monday (17 May).

“Regretfully, the tragic circumstances unfolding across geographies, an uncertain travel outlook, differing speeds of vaccination rollout and the uncertainty around new variants combine to make it impossible to realise a global meeting with business, government and civil society leaders from all over the world at the scale which was planned,” said the WEF.

“This is despite the excellent support provided by the Government of Singapore.”

Singapore was scheduled to host the Special Annual Meeting from 17 to 20 August. It had been earlier postponed in February this year from its rescheduled dates of 25 to 28 May.

The event was earlier moved to Singapore from its usual location of Davos, Switzerland in the light of the Covid-19 situation in Europe.

It was earlier reported that WEF was aiming to attract around 1,000 delegates and intends to hold the event at the Marina Bay Sands complex.

The next annual meeting will take place in the first half of 2022, with the final location and date to be decided based on an assessment of the situation later this summer, said the WEF.

“It was a difficult decision, particularly in view of the great interest of our partners to come together not just virtually but in person, and to contribute to a more resilient, more inclusive and more sustainable world,” said Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of WEF.

“But ultimately the health and safety of everyone concerned is our highest priority.”