Resilience keynotes for Muscat conferences and leadership teams
Muscat sits between mountains and sea, the capital of a country with a long seafaring history. Paris, an ocean rower, brings The Grit Code to its audiences.
A seafaring capital looking ahead
Muscat is where Paris’s Gulf story began. He lived here from 2009 to 2012, and it is where he discovered his love of adventure: every weekend was spent out in the wadis and mountains, and he fell in love with Omani culture.
He set up a technology business in Muscat with a local Omani partner, played rugby for Muscat Rugby Club and made friends he still calls friends today. For Paris, Muscat was his entry to the Middle East and his discovery of its culture.
Muscat is the capital of Oman, home to the Royal Opera House Muscat, which opened in 2011, and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Oman Vision 2040 sets the country’s long-term economic goals.
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.
Oman’s seafaring tradition fits Paris’s story: 39 days and 4,800 km rowing the Pacific. He uses it to talk about preparation, adapting the plan and keeping going when conditions turn.
Who Paris speaks to in Muscat
Energy and logistics
Resilience keynotes for operational teams.
Tourism and hospitality
Talks for Oman’s growing visitor economy.
Vision 2040 programmes
Sessions on perseverance for long-term national goals.
Banking
Offsites and conferences for financial teams.
Where Muscat meets
The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre hosts national and international conferences throughout the year.
- Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre – the country’s main conference venue, near Muscat International Airport
- Coastal hotel venues – along Muscat’s shoreline
Ways to book Paris in Muscat
Options: keynote, 45 to 60 minutes · workshop, 90 minutes up to half a day · virtual session, 30 to 45 minutes · host or MC for your event. 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.
The Pacific row film shows the crossing at the heart of The Grit Code. 39 days at sea · The Grit Code keynote
Speaking in Muscat, in person or virtually
Available for in-person events in Muscat, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers in the Middle East typically book speakers one to two months ahead, so an early enquiry gives the best chance of your preferred date.
See also keynote speaker in Oman, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Muscat: Oman's capital and conference city
Muscat sits between the Hajar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman. As the capital it is home to ministries, banks, energy and logistics companies, and a fast-growing tourism and hospitality sector.
Oman Vision 2040 asks those organisations to diversify, develop Omani talent and grow the private sector over the next two decades. The Grit Code is built for that kind of long effort, drawing on Paris's 39 days rowing the Pacific and his seven marathons on seven continents.
The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre hosts many of Muscat's largest conferences, alongside the city's hotels and beach resorts. 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 arrived in the region in 2009, living in Muscat until 2012, and 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).
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).
For Muscat 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
Has Paris lived in Oman?
Yes. Paris lived in Muscat from 2009 to 2012. He set up a technology business there with a local Omani partner, played rugby for Muscat Rugby Club and spent his weekends in the wadis and mountains. It was his entry to the Middle East.
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Muscat?
Yes. Paris speaks at conferences, company events and leadership programmes in Muscat, in person or virtually.
How much notice do Muscat organisers usually give?
One to two months is typical in the region; get in touch even if your date is sooner.
Is the keynote relevant to maritime and logistics teams?
Yes. It is built on an ocean crossing, with lessons on preparation and changing conditions.
Can Paris tailor the talk to Vision 2040 themes?
Yes. Every talk starts with a briefing call to connect the stories to your theme.
Is The Grit Code relevant to Oman Vision 2040?
Yes. The briefing call links the keynote to your organisation's long-term goals.
Does Paris speak at Muscat hotels and resorts?
Yes. He speaks at conference centres, hotels, resorts and offsite venues across Muscat.
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