The Federal Council announced on 30 January that Swiss President Guy Parmelin will embark on a five-day Gulf trip beginning 2 February, with stops in Kuwait City and Dubai. The visit commemorates 60 years of Swiss-Kuwaiti diplomatic relations and positions Switzerland at the World Governments Summit (WGS) – an annual policy forum that increasingly shapes global norms on digital governance and future-of-work issues.
In Kuwait, Mr Parmelin will meet Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah. Talks will address peace-policy cooperation and nearer-term commercial questions such as public-health projects and renewable-energy investment. The president will also host a round-table with executives from Swiss multinationals active in the Gulf, including Nestlé, Roche and ABB, whose mobility teams manage hundreds of work permits for the region.
Swiss executives and their mobility teams preparing for such engagements may find the visa landscape complex. VisaHQ’s Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers an end-to-end service for Kuwait, the UAE and dozens of other destinations, streamlining application paperwork, courier logistics and status tracking so travellers can focus on the summit agenda.
![President Parmelin to combine Kuwait state visit with World Governments Summit in Dubai]()
Parmelin will then travel to Dubai for the WGS, where more than 6,000 delegates from 140 states are expected. Swiss priorities at the summit include digital identity, food security and climate-resilient urban infrastructure – all fields that hinge on cross-border talent flows. The president’s delegation features State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) officials and economic-promotion staff who will court Gulf investors eyeing Switzerland’s tech clusters.
For global-mobility practitioners the trip signals continuity in Switzerland’s ‘Team Switzerland’ outreach model, which bundles politics, trade promotion and science diplomacy. Companies should monitor any bilateral accords or memoranda of understanding signed during the visit, which could open fast-track visa channels or mutual-recognition schemes for professional qualifications.
Practical travel considerations: the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has issued an advisory for corporate travellers to Dubai during the summit week (2-6 February) noting probable slot restrictions at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and heightened hotel demand. Mobility teams are urged to reconfirm bookings and allow extra time for security screening at DXB’s dedicated WGS arrival zone.
In Kuwait, Mr Parmelin will meet Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah. Talks will address peace-policy cooperation and nearer-term commercial questions such as public-health projects and renewable-energy investment. The president will also host a round-table with executives from Swiss multinationals active in the Gulf, including Nestlé, Roche and ABB, whose mobility teams manage hundreds of work permits for the region.
Swiss executives and their mobility teams preparing for such engagements may find the visa landscape complex. VisaHQ’s Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers an end-to-end service for Kuwait, the UAE and dozens of other destinations, streamlining application paperwork, courier logistics and status tracking so travellers can focus on the summit agenda.
Parmelin will then travel to Dubai for the WGS, where more than 6,000 delegates from 140 states are expected. Swiss priorities at the summit include digital identity, food security and climate-resilient urban infrastructure – all fields that hinge on cross-border talent flows. The president’s delegation features State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) officials and economic-promotion staff who will court Gulf investors eyeing Switzerland’s tech clusters.
For global-mobility practitioners the trip signals continuity in Switzerland’s ‘Team Switzerland’ outreach model, which bundles politics, trade promotion and science diplomacy. Companies should monitor any bilateral accords or memoranda of understanding signed during the visit, which could open fast-track visa channels or mutual-recognition schemes for professional qualifications.
Practical travel considerations: the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has issued an advisory for corporate travellers to Dubai during the summit week (2-6 February) noting probable slot restrictions at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and heightened hotel demand. Mobility teams are urged to reconfirm bookings and allow extra time for security screening at DXB’s dedicated WGS arrival zone.
