Grit keynotes for Kuwait City’s finance and energy leaders
Kuwait City is home to one of the world’s oldest sovereign wealth funds and a deep base of banking and energy companies. The Grit Code is built for teams under long-term pressure.
Long-term capital, long-term grit
The Kuwait Investment Authority, founded in 1953, is among the oldest sovereign wealth funds in the world. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and many of the Gulf’s established banks are based in the capital.
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.
Organisations that think in decades need people who keep going for decades. Paris’s keynote turns endurance stories into practical tools for that kind of perseverance.
Who Paris speaks to in Kuwait City
Banks and investment
Conferences and offsites for financial teams.
Oil and gas
Resilience keynotes for operational and leadership teams.
Family groups
Leadership events for multi-generation businesses.
Schools and universities
Talks for students; Paris also runs The Grit Generation.
Where Kuwait City meets
The Kuwait International Fair grounds host exhibitions and trade events across the year.
- Kuwait International Fair – the exhibition grounds at Mishref
- City hotel venues – around Kuwait City and the Gulf Road
Ways to book Paris in Kuwait City
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 →
Stories with the miles behind them
Seven marathons in under six days
Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami: 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Across the Pacific by rowing boat
A 4,800 km row in 2023 that raised more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Paris ran 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 · The Grit Generation
Speaking in Kuwait City, in person or virtually
Available for in-person events in Kuwait City, 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.
See also keynote speaker in Kuwait, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Kuwait City: banking, energy and family business
Kuwait City is the country's commercial heart: banks, investment houses, energy companies, family conglomerates and government entities all have their headquarters here.
Kuwait Vision 2035 asks those organisations to grow the private sector and develop national talent over many years. The Grit Code helps their people stay the course, with stories from the Pacific, from seven marathons on seven continents and from 17 years building a TV career in the Gulf.
Events in the city are held at the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre, the Kuwait International Fairground in Mishref and the ballrooms of the capital's hotels. Paris is available for keynotes, workshops, hosting and virtual sessions.
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 Kuwait City 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 Kuwait City?
Yes. Paris speaks at conferences, company events and leadership programmes in Kuwait City, in person or virtually.
What notice do Kuwait organisers usually give?
One to two months is common; ask about your date even if it is sooner.
Is the keynote suitable for banking audiences?
Yes. It focuses on perseverance and adapting the plan under pressure.
Can Paris speak at schools in Kuwait?
Yes. The Grit Generation is his schools programme.
Which Kuwait City organisations does Paris speak to?
Banks and investment firms, energy companies, family businesses, government entities and universities.
Can the keynote be linked to Vision 2035?
Yes. The briefing call ties the stories and takeaways to your organisation's goals.
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.
Bring grit to your next Kuwait City event
Share your date and audience, or book a call.
More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact