Davos turns into fortress with thousands of security personnel for WEF
Nearly 5,000 Swiss army personnel, including those equipped with the latest gadgets like drones and AI-powered tools, along with police and civil security personnel, will ensure the safety of high-profile visitors to World Economic Forum in Davos
Davos: This highest town in Europe has become synonymous with an annual gathering of the most powerful people in the world and that requires some heavy-duty security cover.
Nearly 5,000 Swiss army personnel, including those equipped with the latest gadgets like drones and AI-powered tools, have taken over this small skiing resort town to ensure the safety of its high-profile visitors for the next week and to ensure the successful completion of a rare annual confluence of biggest names in the world from business to government to civil society to art and culture and a lot of others.
The thousands-strong army deployment is actually adding to a large number of police and civilian personnel tasked to secure this small Alpine resort town.
In 2025, the armed forces will once again support the civilian authorities in the canton of Graubunden in carrying out security tasks in connection with the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), the Swiss Armed Forces said in a statement.
Swiss Parliament has approved the deployment of a maximum of 5,000 soldiers on these civil affairs support operations from 2025 until 2027. The 2025 WEF meeting will be held from January 20-24, but the Swiss Army’s mission lasts from January 14-30.
Air traffic over Swiss, Austrian and Liechtenstein territory within a radius of 46 km of the centre of Davos will be restricted. Special rules and procedures that have been worked out by the Swiss Air Force and the Federal Office for Civil Aviation must be observed for approaches to and departures from regional airfields and heliports. Only specified visual flight routes may be flown.
The Swiss Air Force will support the civilian authorities with air transport and surveillance flights using helicopters, propeller planes and combat aircraft. Therefore, a considerable increase in military air movements even beyond the canton of Graubünden is to be expected.
As air traffic includes not only helicopters and aeroplanes, all other airspace users are also subject to restrictions that came into force on January 17, 2025.
Davos is estimated to have a permanent population of about 10,000 people but is frequented throughout the year by tourists including skiing enthusiasts in ski season, but it is the week of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting when it sees the maximum footfalls and the population multiplies.
Given the high-profile nature of the event, beginning Monday, the security is both discreet and visible and comprises snipers, drone jammers, regular frisking and checking and round-the-clock patrol. In addition to army personnel, there is a huge number of policemen and women, support staff running into thousands. And there is no less number of tourists, it being a skiing season.
Air Force has also been tasked to monitor and secure the airspace. Besides, it will use its helicopters to transport people protected under international law on behalf of the Swiss federal government. These flights are not to be confused with the private helicopter taxis for business giants, which also will be in plenty.
According to Swiss government data, more than 2,500 leaders from business, politics, science and culture will be staying in Davos from January 20-24, including 200-300 internationally protected persons, such as heads of state and government, ministers, and high-level representatives of international organisations.
The cost ceiling for security at the WEF Annual Meeting 2025 is set at CHF 9 million.
