2021 WEF moved from Switzerland to Singapore due to COVID-19 pandemic

FILE PHOTO: Attendees arrive for the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 23, 2018. Denis Balibouse. /VCG Photo

The World Economic Forum (WEF) will be held in Singapore instead of Switzerland in light of Europe's COVID-19 status.

The organization announced the change in venue on Monday, also announcing that the event will be held from 13-16 May and not January as it has traditionally been.

WEF president Borge Brende said in an email that the decision to change host country for the gathering of world leaders was to ensure safety of all participants.

"Unfortunately, the current Covid-19 situation in Europe makes it unlikely that we would be able to create the necessary conditions to ensure the health and safety of our staff, participants and the broader community," Brende said.

"Singapore has been successful in dealing with the pandemic," he said.

The WEF is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

The Forum was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Every year, it brings together over 3,000 participants from around the world.

The decision to change venues comes as the number of COVID-19 infections globally surpassed the 67.21 million mark, with Switzerland accounting for 354,306 cases.

(With input from agencies)