Adventure keynotes in AlUla, where Paris has filmed
Paris has filmed his TV shows in AlUla, including Guy in the Sky at Hegra. He brings The Grit Code to retreats and events in the oasis.
Filmed among the tombs of Hegra
Hegra became Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Its rock-cut tombs were carved by the Nabataeans more than 2,000 years ago.
The Royal Commission for AlUla was set up in 2017. In 2019 Maraya Concert Hall set a Guinness World Record as the largest mirrored building in the world, with 9,740 square metres of mirrors.
Paris filmed Guy in the Sky at Hegra and has also hosted shows at the Dakar Rally in Qiddiya and the UN Tourism meeting in Riyadh. Paris has spent the last 17 years working, filming and having adventures across the Gulf, making TV shows that uncover the culture of the Middle East.
Who Paris speaks to in AlUla
Heritage and hospitality
Keynotes for resort, guiding and destination teams.
Leadership offsites
Small-group sessions in a remarkable setting.
Arts and heritage
Talks for festival and cultural audiences.
Giga-project teams
Resilience for people delivering long programmes.
Event venues
Maraya and the oasis resorts host AlUla’s concerts, summits and leadership retreats.
- Maraya – the mirrored concert hall in the Ashar valley
- AlUla’s luxury resorts – ten were open by 2023, many with meeting space
Ways to book Paris in AlUla
The Grit Code keynote (45–60 min) · Grit Deconstruction workshop (90 min to half day) · virtual keynote (30–45 min) · event host and MC. Compare formats →
Why audiences believe him
5 days, 21 hours, 51 minutes
The time it took Paris to run 7 marathons on 7 continents: Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami.
More than £150,000 raised
For marine conservation, by rowing 4,800 km across the Pacific in 2023.
Explore Paris’s TV shows, or read how The Grit Code is built. All TV shows · The Grit Code keynote · Keynote speaker Tabuk
Booking for AlUla
Available for in-person events in AlUla, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers in the Middle East typically book speakers one to two months ahead, and shorter notice is sometimes possible, so it is worth asking.
The keynote is delivered in English, and Arabic interpretation or translated slides are available on request through the organiser.
See also keynote speaker in Saudi Arabia, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
AlUla: a place Paris has filmed
AlUla is one of the most remarkable places in the Gulf: sandstone canyons, the Nabataean tombs of Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the mirrored Maraya concert hall, which hosts conferences, concerts and summits.
Paris knows AlUla first-hand. He filmed his TV shows there, and Blazing Sand Studios, the production company where he is CEO, has made destination work for the Royal Commission for AlUla. He has also hosted shows at the Dakar Rally in Qiddiya and hosted the UN Tourism meeting in Riyadh.
For an AlUla event, Paris can deliver The Grit Code, host the programme as a TV presenter or combine the two. Tourism, heritage, hospitality and government teams use the keynote to keep momentum through long, ambitious destination projects.
Seventeen years in the Gulf, on stage and on screen
Paris Norriss has lived and worked in the Gulf for 17 years. He moved to Dubai around 2009 because he believed in the region's long-term vision, and he has built his whole career here since: as the presenter of Guy in Dubai, which ran for four seasons and 26 episodes on Dubai Television, and as CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, the production company behind his adventure series. His shows have aired on Dubai TV, OSN, Emirates, flydubai, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia, and they are distributed in 123 countries.
In Saudi Arabia, Paris hosted the UN Tourism meeting in Riyadh, filmed his TV shows in AlUla, where Blazing Sand Studios has made destination work for the Royal Commission for AlUla, and hosted shows at the Dakar Rally in Qiddiya. Across the region he has spoken at COP28 at Expo City Dubai (December 2023), Expo 2020 Dubai (2021) and TEDx Amman, where he addressed 4,000 people in a Roman theatre (October 2025).
Regional clients include Nokia, Kraft Heinz, Dubai Airports, Dulsco, Al Kabeer Foods, IHG, DHL and the Sharjah International Travel and Tourism Forum (SITTF).
For AlUla audiences, that means a speaker who understands how Gulf organisations work, how multinational and national teams sit side by side, and why long transformation programmes need people who keep going when the plan breaks. Every keynote is shaped in a briefing call around your theme, your audience and your goals.
Questions from AlUla organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in AlUla?
Yes. Organisers in AlUla can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Has Paris worked in AlUla before?
Yes. He has filmed his TV shows there, including Guy in the Sky at Hegra.
Can the keynote work for a small leadership retreat?
Yes. It can be a full keynote or an interactive session for a smaller group.
Has Paris filmed in AlUla?
Yes. He filmed his TV shows in AlUla, and Blazing Sand Studios has made destination work for the Royal Commission for AlUla.
Can Paris speak at Maraya?
He is available for conferences and events at AlUla venues including Maraya, subject to the organiser's booking.
Does Paris know the Gulf?
Yes. He has lived and worked in the Gulf for 17 years, presented Guy in Dubai on Dubai Television and is CEO of Blazing Sand Studios.
Check a date for AlUla
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.