SINGAPORE — The World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting that will be held in Singapore will be rescheduled to August, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Wednesday (Feb 3).

In a news release, MTI said that the WEF had proposed to reschedule the Special Annual Meeting to Aug 17 to 20 in light of the global travel restrictions and the “international challenges in combating the virus at this stage”.

This will be the second time that the meeting in Singapore has been rescheduled. It was first supposed to take place from May 13 to 16 but was pushed back by two weeks to May 25 and 28 this year.

MTI said that the Singapore Government “understands the challenges” faced by WEF and has “agreed to the reschedule”.

“We will continue to partner the WEF closely to host a safe and successful Special Annual Meeting in Singapore.” 

In December last year, the WEF announced that the meeting will be held in Singapore instead of in Switzerland this January as the Covid-19 pandemic would make it difficult to ensure the health and safety of participants in Europe. 

MTI had said then that it would be the second time the WEF Special Annual Meeting will be held outside of Switzerland since its establishment in 1971, and the first time it will be held in Asia.

The only time it has taken place outside of Davos was in 2002, when it was held in New York in a bid to show solidarity with the United States and the people of the city after the Sept 11 terror attacks.