Grit keynotes for Doha conferences and leadership teams
Doha hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup and runs a busy calendar of international conferences. Paris brings real expedition stories to its audiences.
A global stage in the Gulf
Doha is the capital of Qatar, home to QatarEnergy and one of the world’s leading LNG industries, and host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the first held in the Arab world.
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. He knows the region, its business culture and its audiences.
Doha is familiar ground. Paris has visited the city many times on business and has played rugby against Doha Rugby Club, part of 17 years spent working, filming and having adventures across the Gulf.
Energy, sport and public-sector teams in Doha deliver long, ambitious programmes. The Grit Code helps them keep going when timelines stretch and plans change.
Who Paris speaks to in Doha
Energy and LNG
Resilience keynotes for operational and leadership teams.
Sport and events
Endurance stories for a city of major sporting events.
Government
Sessions for teams delivering national strategies.
Education
Talks for students and staff in Education City.
Where Doha meets
Doha hosts international forums, exhibitions and sporting events throughout the year.
- Qatar National Convention Centre – in Education City
- Doha Exhibition and Convention Center – in West Bay
Ways to book Paris in Doha
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 →
Tested at sea, on the ice and on stage
7 marathons, 7 continents
Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Rowed the Pacific
4,800 km in 2023, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Paris’s endurance record includes seven marathons on seven continents (Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami) in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes. The Grit Code keynote · Past speaking events
Speaking in Doha, in person or virtually
Available for in-person events in Doha, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers in the Middle East typically book speakers one to two months ahead, so get in touch early to secure your date.
See also keynote speaker in Qatar, keynote speaker in Dubai, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Doha: a city built for big events
Doha has become one of the world's great event cities, with world-class venues, a busy calendar of conferences and summits, and a business community built around energy, finance, aviation, education and sport.
Qatar National Vision 2030 aims to develop a knowledge-based economy and invest in people. That is long-term work, and The Grit Code gives teams practical tools to keep going through it: purpose, vision, challenging limiting beliefs and keeping a clear head under pressure.
Conferences in Doha are held at the Qatar National Convention Centre, the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center and the hotels of West Bay and Lusail. Paris can deliver a keynote, a Grit Deconstruction workshop or host the programme as an experienced TV presenter.
Seventeen years in the Gulf, on stage and on screen
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).
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.
Regional clients include Nokia, Kraft Heinz, Dubai Airports, Dulsco, Al Kabeer Foods, IHG, DHL and the Sharjah International Travel and Tourism Forum (SITTF).
For Doha 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.
FAQ
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Doha?
Yes. Paris speaks at conferences, company events and leadership programmes in Doha, in person or virtually.
Can Paris tailor the keynote for a Doha audience?
Yes. He adapts stories and examples for each audience, whether energy, sport, government or education.
What lead time do Doha organisers usually allow?
One to two months is typical in the region. Get in touch with your date, even if it is sooner.
Which Doha audiences is The Grit Code suited to?
Energy, finance, aviation, education, sport and government teams, plus annual conferences and leadership offsites.
Can Paris host a Doha conference?
Yes. As a TV presenter he hosts conferences, panels and award evenings across the Gulf.
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.
More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact