Paris Norriss has set himself many challenges over the past two years.
Learning how to pearl dive, racing electric cars, wakeboarding and zip-lining over Downtown Dubai – the self-described adventurer is always looking for his next thrill.
However, when it came to flying solo in a paramotor, the Englishman more than met his match. “The thing with that is it requires absolute dedication,” he recalls. “So when you make your run to take off, you absolutely have to go for it.”
Norriss’s leap of faith took him as high as 150 metres over a pristine strip of Ras Al Khaimah beach. He says the pinnacle was the easy part; his eventual landing half an hour later, he admits, was not the smoothest.
"Oh, I just crashed," he tells The National. "When I was doing it, I was thinking this is how the Wright brothers felt on their first flight. Their plane didn't even have any wheels because they hadn't yet thought about landing."
This is one of the many experiences and anecdotes you will find in Norriss's programme Guy in Dubai. Available in the region on OSN Streaming and on Amazon Prime in the UK, the lifestyle show follows Norriss as he indulges in a series of activities – both thrilling and cultural – across Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
All 18 episodes of 2018's debut season run for between five and 13 minutes, with the second batch landing online next month.
Live your best life
While the concept isn't a new one, what makes the show worth watching is its subtle inspirational theme. With each episode beginning with Norriss thinking of a new experience to conquer and ending with the task achieved, Guy in Dubai is as much a challenge to its host as the audience.
“I am asking people to be more adventurous in life and basically enjoy the moment,” Norriss says. “I am not talking about doing super-physical things, it is about changing that sort of thinking that says: 'I will work for 30 years, retire and then live the life I want'.
"Instead, try some of those things now. Sign up for that diving course or learn a new skill. Why wait?”
This is a mindset, Norriss says, that has taken on extra resonance during the pandemic. “When we had the [curfew], we all realised what was important,” he says.
“As well as friends and family, we really began asking ourselves if we are living our lives to the fullest, and how we perhaps didn’t take advantage of certain opportunities, like being able to go to the mountains or the sea.
"Now that we are slowly going back out again, I am seeing people doing more of these things.”
While Norriss is a solid host, he had no television experience prior to the programme. Not only that, Guy in Dubai is his first foray into television production.
So how did he get on to Amazon and OSN?
Follow the money but do what you love
Norriss’s unorthodox route into the television industry is instructive.
A serial entrepreneur with as many successes as failures, Norriss recalls how the concept for Guy in Dubai came to him in 2014 as a result of some soul searching.
“I was doing all sorts of random ventures from an e-commerce portal to a tech business and a leadership development company, and what struck me when some of these things went wrong was how it has always been focused on creating wealth and getting that pot of gold in the end,” he says.
"And I came to a thought of: 'You know what? What about creating a business that allows you to do what you love to do?' So I asked myself what do I love doing? And I realised that I want to be an adventurer. I want to climb mountains, race power boats and do these things. So, I was like, 'OK, maybe I could create a television show around that'. I realised that in Dubai I can do many of these things."
So Norriss set to work with a small crew, and by 2018, had produced four pilot episodes. Word of his exploits reached the boardrooms of OSN through Norriss’s extensive network of business contacts and before long a deal was struck.
That is the short and sweet version of the story, Norriss admits.
“At the same time, there have been a lot of rejections and meetings that went absolutely nowhere,” he says. “So I think really what it boils down to, and this I learned from the world of entrepreneurship, is the importance of persistence. You need to keep going and eventually things will happen.”
Another key business lesson Norriss took on his latest venture is to follow the money. It was for this reason that he refused to screen his show on social media sites or YouTube. A streaming platform, he surmised, would be the most attractive option for potential investors.
“The money follows the viewership and you've somehow got to get the viewership,” he says.
“So if I could just convince an OSN or Amazon or a TV station that they need my show, then I have guaranteed viewership, which can get me the sponsorship, which gives me the money to then go produce the show and be even more creative. You need to begin with distribution and then work your way back from there.”
Guy in Abu Dhabi?
With cultural authorities in Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Saudi Arabia keen for local spin-offs of the show, Norriss plans to amend the name of his series in the future.
"I realised that by calling the show Guy in Dubai I kind of shot myself in the foot," he says with a laugh.
"So I think what will happen is eventually, it will be called Guy in Arabia, with Dubai and other places being a specific season."
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
More coverage from the Future Forum
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
RACE CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m
8.15pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
9.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
more from Janine di Giovanni
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
More from UAE Human Development Report:
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Results
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
FFP EXPLAINED
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Results
6.30pm Madjani Stakes Rated Conditions (PA) I Dh160,000 I 1,900m I Winner: Mawahib, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm Maiden Dh150,000 I 1,400m I Winner One Season, Antonio Fresu, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Maiden Dh150,000 I 2,000m I Winner Street Of Dreams, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
8.15pm Dubai Creek Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,600m I Winner Heavy Metal, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.50pm The Entisar Listed I Dh250,000 I 2,000m I Winner Etijaah, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
9.25pm The Garhoud Listed I Dh250,000 I 1,200m I Winner Muarrab, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
10pm Handicap I Dh160,000 I 1,600m I Winner Sea Skimmer, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
Scoreline
Ireland 16 (Tries: Stockdale Cons: Sexton Pens: Sexton 3)
New Zealand 9 (Pens: Barrett 2 Drop Goal: Barrett)
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
