Daily Times

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has left for Davos to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit where he will meet political, trade and business leaders from various countries and officials of international organizations, state-run media reported on Monday.

The WEF is an international organization for public-private cooperation that arranges an annual summit where leaders meet to address key global and regional challenges. Discussions at the summit involve responding to geopolitical shocks and stimulating growth to improve living standards. This year’s annual meeting has been kept on the theme: ‘Collaboration for the Intelligent Age’ and will be held from Jan. 20-24 in the Swiss city of Davos.

Pakistan’s participation in the summit will take place as it navigates a tricky path to economic recovery following a prolonged macroeconomic crisis. The South Asian country hopes to escape this crisis through sustained growth brought about by enhancing its export potential, attracting investments from friendly nations and bringing about fiscal reforms.

“Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has left for Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum 2025 Annual Meeting,” Pakistan’s finance ministry said in a statement.

“Aurangzeb will meet political, trade and business leaders from different countries and international organizations while attending the World Economic Forum, which will be held from Jan. 20-24,” it added.

The ministry said Aurangzeb will address various sessions and take part in discussions during the summit to clarify Pakistan’s economic scenario. He will also participate as a panelist in a high-level discussion on the increasing burden of global debt on developing economies, the statement said.

The ministry said Aurangzeb will take part in panel discussions on the rising global debt burden on developing economies, and on the revolutionary impact of new technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence and automation, in promoting trade and investment.

The statement said Aurangzeb will hold meetings with ministerial delegations from Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia during his visit to the forum.

“During his participation in the forum, the finance minister will also meet officials of global financial and business institutions, global organizations involved in sustainable development, and those of investment and commercial banks, especially investment banks from the Middle East,” the ministry said.

Aurangzeb will also give interviews to selected international media representatives during the summit, in which several heads of state and representatives of governments, the private sector and civil society leaders are taking part, the ministry said.