<p>GENEVA — World Economic Forum organizers say they have decided to cancel their annual gathering — usually held in Davos, Switzerland each year — this year amid concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<p>After multiple attempts to find a proper date and venue, most recently settling on hopes to hold it in Singapore in August, the forum’s organizers said in a statement Monday that it won’t go ahead with the meeting, largely citing the impact of the coronavirus. </p>
<p>“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 realize a global meeting with business, government and civil society leaders from all over the world at the scale which was planned,” the forum said. </p>
<p>Forum founder Klaus Schwab called it a “difficult decision” … "but ultimately the health and safety of everyone concerned is our highest priority.”</p>
<p>The forum’s next annual gathering will be in the first half of next year, with the final date and location to be determined, organizers said.</p>
<p>The elite gathering typically draws hundreds of well-known government leaders, business executives, civil society advocates and artists, actors and musicians.</p>
