Financial Outlook: The World Ahead 2025

Yesterday, 16 January, we had the pleasure of listening to Tom Standage, Deputy Editor of The Economist, and Editor of the World Ahead and Scott Livingstone, International Advisor, NatWest talk about the world ahead.

Tom Standage gave his predictions for the World Ahead 2025 where he explored major global themes, focusing on political shifts, economic challenges and uncertainties. Moreover, he discussed Donald Trump’s influence on international diplomacy, alliances, and trade policies, including tariffs that disrupt global markets. China’s clean-tech initiatives and emission reporting were highlighted as key factors in addressing climate change. Tom also addressed economic trends such as declining inflation and interest rates, alongside the challenges governments face in balancing growth and trade. He also spoke about the slow adoption of AI, despite significant investments, the aging of world leaders and disruptions in travel due to conflicts and overtourism. His message throughout the presentation was how 2025 will be a year shaped by high expectations and unexpected developments.

Scott Livingstone followed suit by applying his extensive knowledge in geopolitics and raised his top 6 difficult questions for 2025. He raised questions regarding the regime in Iran; a normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel; the security challenges facing Europe; China’s economic pressures and a possible uptick in Jihadi terrorism.

We would like to thank our speakers for their valuable insights and for fostering a meaningful discussion as we consider the world ahead. We would also like to thank everyone who attended and our collaboration partners NatWest and Nordisk Renting, who made this event possible.