Grit keynotes for Riyadh conferences and Vision 2030 teams
Paris hosted the UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh. He brings The Grit Code to the capital’s fast-growing conference and leadership scene.
A capital building at speed
Riyadh is the centre of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 transformation. The King Abdullah Financial District houses the headquarters of major institutions, and the Public Investment Fund is driving giga-projects such as Qiddiya on the edge of the city.
Paris knows the Kingdom first-hand: he has filmed his TV shows in AlUla, hosted shows at the Dakar Rally in Qiddiya and hosted 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.
Transformation at this pace asks a lot of people. The Grit Code is about keeping going, adapting the plan and leading teams through change, which is exactly what Vision 2030 programmes need.
Who Paris speaks to in Riyadh
Government and giga-projects
Keynotes for programme teams delivering long-term national goals.
Finance and investment
Offsites for teams in KAFD and the financial sector.
Tourism and events
Paris has hosted UN Tourism in Riyadh and works across the tourism sector.
Leadership programmes
Resilience and change-management sessions for leaders.
Where Riyadh meets
Riyadh hosts major international summits and exhibitions throughout the year, and the city hosted the UN Tourism General Assembly.
- Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center – near King Khalid International Airport
- KAFD and hotel venues – across the King Abdullah Financial District and the city’s major hotels
Ways to book Paris in Riyadh
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 hosted the UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh, one of the most international events in the city’s calendar. UN Tourism General Assembly recap · Adventure TV shows
Past events in Riyadh
- Opening the UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh – November 2025 · Riyadh
Speaking in Riyadh, in person or virtually
Available for in-person events in Riyadh, 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 Saudi Arabia, keynote speaker in Dubai, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Riyadh: where Paris has already hosted on the world stage
Riyadh is where Saudi Arabia's transformation is planned and led. Ministries, giga-project developers, the King Abdullah Financial District and the regional headquarters of global companies all sit in the capital, and the city now hosts some of the world's largest conferences and exhibitions.
Paris knows Riyadh's events scene first-hand: he hosted the UN Tourism meeting in Riyadh, and the UN Tourism General Assembly is among his past speaking clients. He has also hosted shows at the Dakar Rally in Qiddiya, the entertainment and sports destination being developed near the capital.
Venues include the Riyadh Front Exhibition and Conference Center, the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center and the hotels of the King Abdullah Financial District. Teams delivering Vision 2030 projects use The Grit Code to stay focused through programmes that run for years.
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 Riyadh 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 Riyadh?
Yes. Paris speaks at conferences, government events and leadership programmes in Riyadh, in person or virtually.
Has Paris spoken in Riyadh before?
Yes. He hosted the UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh.
How far ahead should we book a Riyadh event?
Organisers in the Middle East typically book speakers one to two months ahead. Shorter notice is sometimes possible, so it is always worth asking.
Is the keynote relevant to Vision 2030 programmes?
Yes. It focuses on perseverance and adapting the plan, which suits teams delivering long, high-profile programmes.
Has Paris worked in Riyadh before?
Yes. He hosted the UN Tourism meeting in Riyadh and has hosted shows at the Dakar Rally in Qiddiya.
Is the keynote relevant to Vision 2030 programmes?
Yes. The Grit Code helps teams sustain performance through long, high-pressure programmes, and the briefing call ties it to your 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.
More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact