UK-founded Growth Velocity Academy has chosen Bahrain for its new headquarters and will kick off operations with intensive Digital Marketing Accelerator Bootcamps to upskill local talent and regional founders.
Backed by the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the move gives the fast-growing training provider a launchpad into MENA markets while advancing Bahrain’s target of training 10,000 nationals per year under the Economic Recovery Plan. The academy’s bootcamps deliver hands-on sessions with industry pros on paid acquisition, analytics, and growth frameworks, equipping marketers and SMEs to scale customer pipelines without outsourcing. Co-founder Howard Kingston says a post-pandemic surge in online spending has opened the “biggest new opportunity for digital businesses in a decade,” and Bahrain’s central location, English-fluent workforce, and low-cost setup make it an ideal base for regional expansion.
Government strategy aligns: the Telecommunications, ICT & Digital Economy Sector Strategy 2022-26 calls for new digital skills and higher cybersecurity standards to attract big-tech employers. EDB executive director Munther Almudawi expects the bootcamps to feed directly into the local job market, giving companies confidence that qualified growth specialists are onshore.
For founders, the academy shortens the learning curve on data-driven marketing—a gap that often delays product-market fit—and offers a network of mentors who have scaled campaigns across Europe, Asia, and the Gulf. The headquarters shift also signals confidence in Bahrain’s visa reforms and the new Startup Visa, which simplify relocation for instructors and students. “The world has changed. Right now, more than ever, we need the right strategies, the connection with the audience and the motivation to get ahead of the curve. The pandemic has forced every business to market online, creating the biggest new opportunity for Digital Marketers and Digital Businesses in the past decade.”
Applications for the first Bahrain bootcamp are open now on Growth Velocity’s website.
