LSN : News : Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Bahrain to open Middle East’s first artificial surf park with 1,000 waves per hour

Bahrain Surf Park, Bahrain

Bahrain – Bahrain is set to make waves with the announcement of the region’s first artificial surf park, the Bahrain Surf Park – Club Hawaii Experience. Scheduled to open in 2026 as part of the Bilaj Al Jazayer megaproject, the park will feature cutting-edge Wavegarden Cove technology capable of generating 1,000 waves per hour and accommodating up to 90 surfers at a time.

Located along Bahrain’s south-west coastline, the surf park aims to attract 300,000 annual visitors and offer over 140,000 surf sessions through the Club Hawaii Surf Academy, catering to surfers of all skill levels. Complementing the surf experience, the park will also include dining, retail, cabana and event spaces.

Victoria Williams, general manager of Bahrain Surf Park, shared her excitement in a press release about how the attraction will create ‘waves for all’, going on to explain: ‘It will be the place for all ages and backgrounds to enjoy everything great about surfing – even if you’ve never picked up a surfboard before!’

The development, a collaboration between Edamah and GFH Financial Group, is poised to host an international surfing competition in 2026, further cementing Bahrain as a hub for global tourism and surf culture.

Explore our Riding the Wave of Surfing Futures report to learn how new consumer groups and locations are fuelling demand for surf tourism, gear and apparel.

Strategic opportunity

Create fitness travel packages centred around adventurous activities such as surfing, cycling and hiking. Collaborate with event organisers to offer exclusive experiences for active travellers

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, we wrap up the topics, issues, ideas and viral moments everyone’s been discussing. This week, deputy foresight editor Dan Hastings looks at insights you might have missed from India, China and the African continent.

: If you think Donald Trump’s podcast strategy for the 2024 US elections was groundbreaking, think again. Indian politicians have been collaborating with creators for years. Prime minister Narendra Modi, for instance, began engaging with YouTube influencers in 2017, recognising their power to shape public opinion. A 2024 study of 238 political interviews across 20 Indian YouTube channels shows that influencer and independent journalist platforms attract far more views than mainstream media. Surprisingly, long-form interviews, lasting 60 to 80 minutes, perform especially well, often amassing millions of views. Long-form content is here to stay.

: It’s time! Not for more Mariah Christmas songs, but for Chinese new year! As tradition dictates, swathes of brands are seizing the occasion with campaigns celebrating the upcoming year of the snake. My favourite? Self-Portrait paying homage to Hong Kong’s iconic tv dramas. The visuals are a glorious mix of food, camp humour and nostalgia.

: I also love OkayAfrica’s curated list of what they’re excited about in 2025. Beyond art, sport and music, the publication spotlights the rise of technology summits across the continent this year. Kigali (Rwanda) is set to host the Global AI Summit on Africa in April, while Johannesburg will welcome the 11th edition of the Fak’ugesi African Digital Innovation Festival in October, bringing together gamers, film buffs, artists and developers.

: In other news, academic bars blending alcohol and lectures are on the rise in Shanghai; Stephanie Hsu’s whimsical Vogue Singapore cover is a testament to the creativity of non-Western Vogue editions (sorry not sorry, Anna Wintour); and, according to The Guardian, organised crime has a surprising new recruit: Jellycat burglars. This Kidult Craze has gone too far!

Jellycat Fish & Chips pop-up at Selfridges, London, UK

Quote of the week

‘You have got to save space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity from Wicked. It makes me feel like you can’t stop me. No one is going to bring me down’

Keke Palmer to MTV

Stat: Demographic shifts to transform global workforce by 2030

Lyonesse Pictures Office. Design by Kii Inc, Japan

Global – The global workforce is on the brink of transformation, driven by two significant demographic shifts identified in a new World Economic Forum (WEF) report. These changes are expected to reshape the employment landscapes and create millions of new jobs by 2030.

The first shift concerns ageing populations in high-income countries, with the Future of Jobs Survey 2025 showing that for 40% of employers worldwide, ageing and declining working-age populations are driving transformation. To address this, companies are increasingly investing in reskilling and transitioning current workers to new roles. ‘They’re trying to fill those gaps from within, which was not the case before,’ Till Leopold, head of the future of work, wages and economic growth at the WEF, told Fortune.

The second shift involves a burgeoning younger population in developing countries, which will account for 59% of the global working-age population by 2050. Economies including India, South-east Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are expected to provide nearly two-thirds of entrants to the workforce over the coming decades.

By 2030, 78m jobs (7% of today’s total employment) will have been created, with opportunities emerging across industries as organisations adapt to these demographic realities.

For more insights on what’s new and next for workplaces, head to our Work States Futures macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

Consider establishing partnerships with educational institutions and local governments in regions such as India, South-east Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa to tap into the growing working-age population and build a skilled workforce