Klaus Schwab makes first appearance without ‘executive chair’ title at WEF meeting in Dubai

World Economic Forum (WEF) founder Klaus Schwab makes his first appearance in 53 years without the title of “executive chair” of the globalist organization he founded in 1971.

Today, Schwab gave the opening remarks at the WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils in Dubai, UAE, under his new title at the WEF — “Chairman of the Board of Trustees.”

“The ‘Intelligent Age’ will change what we are doing, how we are living, how we are communicating; it will change government policies, and it will change business models”

Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, October 2024

In his opening statement at the WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils today, Schwab remarked:

“Everybody would agree we never have lived in such turbulent times.

“There are deep transformations happening, and I just want to mention four, and those four transformations are conflating, meaning each transformation is influencing the other ones.”

Schwab then began to list the four transformations, but he only actually gave three definitive ones:

• A transition from a unipolar, stable world to a multipolar, very unstable, very conflictual world
• The need to move into a green world that’s not just about climate change, but about a “new relationship with nature — preserving our oceans, preserving our soil, preserving our forests”
• A move from the “Industrial World” into the “Intelligent World”

Instead of a clearly describing a fourth transformation, Schwab talked about the current state of the world and asked audience members if they believed the future would be better or worse.

“If people believe that the future will not be better, then the basic narrative of humankind, ‘always to prepare for a better future,’ is lost, and I think is one of the biggest dangers which we have in the world”

Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, October 2024

The WEF chairman of the board would then go on to regurgitate his “Great Narrative” talking points about crafting narrative for humankind’s future that weaves social, economic, political, environmental, and technological issues.

“If we want to believe in the future; if we want to have hope for a better future, we have to decide this future, and this group is ideally mandated to help to do so,” said Schwab.

“And when we decide the future, we should not forget that today, political, economic, social, environmental, and technological issues are interrelated,” he added.

To get a clearer picture of Schwab’s “transformations” he wrote a brief intro to the WEF Annual Report 2023-2024 where he listed five “interconnected shifts”:

• Transition from the industrial to the intelligent age
• Conflictual transition from a unipolar to a multipolar world
• Need to transition to a green economy
• Demographic shifts from a young to an ageing world
• Societal polarization and rise of misinformation

“There will be a huge re-shifting of the workforce with also political implications because it affects particularly the higher-middle class”

Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, October 2024

Schwab gave today’s opening remarks alongside Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs of the United Arab Emirates.

Al Gergawi was by Schwab’s side when the WEF founder announced “The Great Narrative” initiative as sequel to the “Great Reset” at the “Great Narrative Meeting” in Dubai in November, 2021.

When asked by Al Gergawi, “What makes the ‘Intelligent Age’ different than AI, can you elaborate?” Schwab responded today that the transition to the “Intelligent Age” was similar to that from an agricultural society to an industrial one, and that an intelligent society would be the next step.

“We are moving now from an industrial society to an intelligent society”

Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, October 2024

“By January 2025, Klaus Schwab will transition from Executive Chairman to Chairman of the Board of Trustees”

World Economic Forum, Institutional Update, May 2024

Although Schwab is no longer the executive chairman of the WEF, he ain’t going nowhere!

He’s now the WEF Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The WEF Board of Trustees counts some of the most powerful and influential people in the world, including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, the heads of the World Bank: Ajay Banga, the European Central Bank: Christine Lagarde, the International Monetary Fund (IMF): Kristalina Georgieva, and World Trade Organization (WTO): Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, along with former US Vice President Al Gore, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and artist Yo-Yo Ma, among many others.

On May 21, 2024, the WEF published an “Institutional Update” on its Agenda blog, stating that a “president and managing board” would “assume full executive responsibility” following Schwab’s transition, which the WEF projected to be no later than January 2025.

But according to the latest WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils program, Schwab has already made that transition, thus indicating that he is no longer the executive chair.

“I think we are for the first time in a situation where humanity could destroy itself”

Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, October 2024

The WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2024 program says the meeting “will bring together the world’s foremost knowledge network.

“This network comprises thought leaders from academia, business, government, international organizations and civil society. More than 500 experts are represented across 30 thematic councils. They will share insights on emerging trends and scenarios relating to key global issues, while fast-tracking progress and action from decision-makers.

“This is the second in-person meeting of the 2023-2024 council term. The meeting will allow members to amplify the impact of their work on topics such as artificial intelligence, geopolitics, energy green transition, jobs and growth, and clean air.”

Last September, Schwab announced that the theme for next year’s WEF Annual Meeting in Davos would be “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.”

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Image Source: Screenshot of Klaus Schwab, WEF Annual Meeting of the Global Futures Council 2024