Grit keynotes for Tabuk and the north-west
Tabuk is the seat of the province where the NEOM giga-project is being built. Paris brings The Grit Code to the city’s conferences, campuses and teams.
Gateway to the giga-projects
Tabuk Province is home to NEOM, the planned giga-project that has brought the region international attention.
Tabuk Castle dates from the 16th century, and the city was an important station on the Hejaz Railway.
The University of Tabuk was founded in 2006. In the Kingdom, Paris has filmed TV shows in AlUla, hosted shows at the Dakar Rally in Qiddiya and hosted the UN Tourism meeting in Riyadh. Paris has spent 17 years in the Gulf making TV shows that uncover the culture of the Middle East.
Who Paris speaks to in Tabuk
Project and contractor teams
Resilience for teams on long, complex programmes.
University of Tabuk
Talks for students and staff.
Government entities
Sessions for public-sector leaders.
Tourism
Keynotes for tourism teams.
Where Tabuk meets
Tabuk’s hotel ballrooms host the city’s conferences, forums and company events.
- Le Méridien Tabuk – ballroom for several hundred guests
- Grand Millennium Tabuk – a grand hall for up to 600
Keynote, workshop or virtual
Most Tabuk organisers book the 45–60 minute Grit Code keynote. Teams that want depth add a Grit Deconstruction workshop of 90 minutes to half a day, remote audiences get a 30–45 minute virtual version, and Paris can also host and moderate full-day events. 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.
See how The Grit Code is built, or browse Paris’s Riyadh page. The Grit Code keynote · Keynote speaker Riyadh
How a booking works
Available for in-person events in Tabuk, 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.
Talks are given in English; organisers can add Arabic interpretation or bilingual slides.
See also keynote speaker in Saudi Arabia, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
Tabuk’s economy and who the talk is for
Tabuk has a population of about 886,036 (2022 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Students, graduates and faculty
Higher education is part of Tabuk’s talent pipeline, with institutions such as University of Tabuk and Fahd Bin Sultan University. Paris’s talks for students and graduates focus on grit as a skill that can be learned, using his own expeditions as evidence.
Typical formats include welcome weeks, graduation events, entrepreneurship programmes and alumni dinners. University keynote speaker →
How a Grit Code session works
- Before the event, Paris speaks with the organiser about the audience and the outcome they want.
- On the day, the 45–60 minute Grit Code keynote mixes adventure film, stories and practical tools.
- Afterwards, teams can go deeper with a Grit Deconstruction workshop of 90 minutes to half a day.
The content is shaped around Tabuk organisations and their goals, so the room hears examples that match its own challenges. Paris presents as an adventurer and CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, not as a theorist.
Where the talk fits in Tabuk
In Tabuk, the most common bookings fall into a few groups:
- Annual company conferences and town halls.
- Change and transformation programmes, including AI adoption.
- Safety, wellbeing and performance days for operations teams.
- Charity dinners and community events, which Paris knows well as an ambassador for Gulf for Good.
Credentials at a glance
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
- In 2023 he rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
- He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
- He is the CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company.
Common questions
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Tabuk?
Yes. Paris takes Tabuk bookings for keynotes, workshops and hosting, live or virtual.
Does the keynote suit giga-project teams?
Yes. It focuses on perseverance through long programmes and adapting the plan as conditions change.
Does Paris speak at universities in Tabuk?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as University of Tabuk and Fahd Bin Sultan University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Tabuk?
Yes. The Grit Deconstruction workshop runs from 90 minutes to half a day and turns the keynote’s ideas into team habits and actions.
Can the keynote be delivered online for teams in Tabuk?
Yes. A 30–45 minute virtual version is available for remote or hybrid audiences, delivered in your local time zone.
Who has Paris spoken for?
Past clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact