Donald Trump will speak remotely at the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, only days after his inauguration as US president.
The 47th president will address the gathering of world leaders and decision-makers on Thursday, January 23.
WEF president Borge Brende said other senior members of the incoming US administration have expressed an interest to attend in person, without naming them.
Mr Brende told an online news conference that the WEF's 55th meeting in Davos, Switzerland came "against the most complicated geopolitical backdrop in generations".
Asked whether the world's richest man Elon Musk was expected to attend, Mr Brende said he was welcome but was not scheduled to appear.
More than 60 heads of state and government will attend the event, held on January 20-24 in the Swiss Alps.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang and Argentina's President Javier Milei, who delivered a fiery speech last year, are among the world leaders attending in person. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will give a virtual address and take questions.
Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani will be in Davos and is due to speak about the future of his country after the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
