LSN : News : Saudi Arabia unveils future-forward digital art institute in Riyadh

CES 2025 daily recap: Panasonic launches wellness division and Delta turns 100

Delta 100 at CES 2025, Las Vegas, US

US – The first official day of CES 2025 opened with Panasonic Holdings Corp group CEO Yuki Kusumi taking to the stage to announce Panasonic Well, a new venture and business incubator committed to building services and technologies that improve wellbeing.

Panasonic Well CEO Yoky Matsuoka joined Kusumi to introduce Umi, a holistic digital family wellness platform and coach. Umi uses Anthropic’s Claude AI model to help individuals and families build healthier habits and integrate personalised wellness routines into their daily lives via a mobile app.

‘The push and pull to make room for wellness in daily life is extra challenging; especially for those who are raising a family and caring for ageing or sick loved ones, wellness often comes last. At Panasonic Well, we are leveraging AI, immersive research, years in the field with real families, and partnerships with leading wellness brands and trusted institutions to create solutions families need and want,’ said Matsuoka.

Umi aligns with insights from our Home States Futures macrotrend that foresaw the home increasingly becoming a smart hub for health and longevity.

In CES’s new creator space, panel discussions included State of the Creator Economy, in which industry insiders discussed the importance of businesses using content creators for C-suite consultation as well as content, and highlighted the need to give creators creative control over branded content to ensure it feels authentic.

In Power of Immersive Gaming, Alexander Hicks and Umoyae FreeSpirit, two Gen Z who have made careers out of Roblox, discussed how gaming has infiltrated the culture sphere and the potential for endless films, television and experiences based on the IP of games younger consumers grew up playing.

The day ended with an impressive keynote from Delta Air Lines in the Sphere. Celebrating its 100th anniversary, CEO Ed Bastian announced a new era of travel through partnerships with YouTube for ad-free on-board entertainment and Uber for multi-modal travel experiences. Joined by an array of guests, Bastian also announced a host of enhanced wellness features on board airlines, an AI-powered Delta Concierge and Well Travelled, a new Delta-exclusive show hosted by Tom Brady. For more on airlines enhancing the travel experience, head to Five Airlines Uplifting In-flight Wellness.

Strategic opportunity

Umi highlights the potential for technology to ease the dual care-giving responsibilities of Gen Xers, balancing support for elderly parents, young children and self-care. How can your brand create solutions that address this multi-faceted demographic’s needs?

Saudi Arabia unveils future-forward digital art institute in Riyadh

Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has opened Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), a cutting-edge digital art institute in Riyadh, as part of the £49.8bn ($62.2bn, €60bn) Diriyah complex. Situated within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah, the 6,550-square-metre facility includes advanced labs, immersive exhibition spaces, audio/video studios and a film production suite.

A DAF spokesperson described the institute as ‘a much-needed platform to elevate visionary artists and academics from the MENA region onto the global stage’. The centre seeks to attract international talent and promote cultural exchange, supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goal of diversifying the economy and establishing the nation as a cultural hub.

DAF’s global initiatives include partnerships such as the Emerging New Media Artists Programme, launched with France’s Le Fresnoy Studio. The first group features 12 artists from 11 countries, showcasing Saudi and international talent.

In early 2024, the institute will host residencies under the theme High-Resolution Dreams of Sand, encouraging artists to explore the intersection of history and the future.

DAF represents a significant step in Saudi Arabia’s cultural evolution, blending art and technology to redefine the region’s narrative.

For further insights, see Future Forecast 2025: Luxury, in which our analysts highlight Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global luxury hub in the Middle Eastern Magnificence section.

Strategic opportunity

Digital art is here to stay. Consider how to treat it as valuable intellectual property. Could you, for instance, commission exclusive digital pieces for marketing campaigns, product launches or corporate identity? This approach aligns your brand with cutting-edge creativity and technology

Stat: Millennials and Gen Z increasingly book travel inspired by influencers

Adidas and Rimowa, Germany

Global – Travel influencers are driving bookings among younger generations, with 22% of Gen Z and 32% of Millennials having booked a trip after seeing influencer content, according to a January 2025 report by Morning Consult. Millennials lead the way, with 10% regularly making bookings inspired by influencers.

Engaging, authentic and entertaining influencer content resonates most with these audiences. ‘Younger Gen Zers who are between the ages of 13 and 17 simply don’t have the ability to be planning and booking trips on their own yet,’ notes the report. But, while Gen Z may book less frequently, their enthusiasm for consuming travel content remains high, signalling long-term potential for brands. Building relationships early with this demographic can pay dividends as their trust in expert influencers and spending power grows.

For travel brands, understanding the nuances between Millennial and Gen Z audiences is key to crafting influencer strategies that drive engagement and loyalty. In our TikTok Travel Agents report, we highlighted how digital collectives are tapping into algorithms to create a new iteration of hyper-relatable travel agents for the influencer era.

Strategic opportunity

Collaborate with authentic micro-influencers who have highly engaged niche audiences. While they may have fewer followers, their content often drives higher conversion rates due to the close connection with their communities