World Economic Forum meeting in Singapore postponed to August from May
SINGAPORE — The World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Singapore has been postponed to August from May amid challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a statement on Wednesday night (3 February), “The World Economic Forum has proposed to reschedule the Special Annual Meeting in Singapore to 17-20 August, in light of global travel restrictions and the international challenges in combating the virus at this stage.”
The meeting in Singapore was initially slated to be held from 25-28 May, the first time that it is being held in Asia. The WEF had aimed to attract around 1,000 delegates for its Singapore summit in May with Marina Bay Sands as the event host, according to a report by Reuters on 15 January.
“The Singapore government understands the challenges faced by the World Economic Forum and has agreed to the reschedule. We will continue to partner the World Economic Forum closely to host a safe and successful Special Annual Meeting in Singapore,” MTI said in its statement.
During a parliamentary sitting last month, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said all WEF delegates will have to observe strict public health rules such as undergoing a Covid-19 testing regimen before departure and during arrival and abiding by safe management measures.
Upon the conclusion of the WEF summit in Singapore, it will return to Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, for the next annual meeting in 2022.
Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore
Related stories:
WEF targets Marina Bay Sands for Singapore's 'Davos' summit: sources
'Generational twilight struggle' if US, China cannot reconcile differences: Lee Hsien Loong
