- Dr. Samir J. Serhan is appointed CEO effective immediately by the Acwa Board of Directors.
- Dr. Serhan was previously President of Saudi Arabia and Middle East at Acwa, and former Chief Operating Officer of Air Products, based in the United States.
- Marco Arcelli, CEO of Acwa since March 2023, remains advisor to the chairman of the board of directors to ensure a smooth transition.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Acwa, the world’s largest private water desalination company, leader in the energy transition and pioneer in the field of green hydrogen, announced the appointment of Dr. Samir J. Serhan as CEO effective March 1, 2026. In line with the natural evolution of management mandates and Acwa’s disciplined governance framework, the board of directors of the Saudi Arabia-listed company made this appointment as part of a planned and structured transition and succession process, overseen by the Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors. The board of directors and former CEO Marco Arcelli agreed to implement the planned succession process to ensure continuity and stability. The long-term direction of the company remains unchanged.
Since joining Acwa last year as President of Saudi Arabia and Middle East, Dr. Serhan has worked closely with the leadership team and is fully prepared to take on this new responsibility. Previously, Dr. Serhan was Chief Operating Officer of US-based Air Products, where he had global responsibility for the company’s operational activities and project execution, with P&L responsibility for the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East and India. He also led functions such as technology, global engineering, manufacturing and equipment at Air Products. Earlier in his career, he was president of the Hydrogen division of Praxair. Previously, he worked for 14 years for the Linde Group in senior management positions in the US and Germany, culminating in his role as Managing Director of Linde Engineering. Dr. Serhan brings more than three decades of global leadership experience in large-scale industrial and infrastructure organizations, with a strong track record in driving operational transformation, building institutional capabilities, and achieving disciplined, profitable growth in complex, capital-intensive environments.
Mohammad Abunayyan, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Acwa, said: “Acwa stands today as a Saudi national champion and a global leader in the fields of renewable energy, water desalination and green hydrogen, and our position continues to strengthen. We are grateful for Marco’s leadership in advancing Acwa’s strategy and accelerating our growth trajectory.
Dr. Samir J. Serhan, the new CEO of Acwa, said: “Every day offers us new opportunities to help our customers and meet the pressing needs for energy and water around the world. I am honored to lead Acwa at a pivotal time as the company accelerates profitable global growth in renewable energy, water desalination and green hydrogen solutions – including advancing green hydrogen to decarbonize heavy industries – to deliver scalable and sustainable impact around the world.
Marco Arcelli, the outgoing CEO of Acwa, said: “Over the past three years, the size of Acwa’s portfolio has doubled and we are on track to double it again by 2030, increasing both our footprint and our impact. Acwa now produces around 25% of the world’s desalinated seawater. the discipline of our execution, the dedication of our collaborators and the trust of our partners.
Acwa supports energy and water security and reliability of supply, which are fundamental priorities for economic resilience and the well-being of communities around the world. Today, Acwa provides drinking water to nearly 34 million people and electricity to nearly 76 million people every day.
About Acwa
Acwa (TADAWUL: 2082) is a Saudi listed company and the world’s largest private water desalination company, the first to embrace green hydrogen and a leader in the global energy transition. Registered and established in 2004 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Acwa employs over 4,000 people and currently operates in 15 countries across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and South East Asia. Acwa’s portfolio includes 111 projects in operation, in advanced development or under construction with an investment value of 430 billion SAR (114.8 billion USD) and the capacity to produce 93 GW of electricity (including 52 GW of renewable energy) and manage 9.3 million m3/day of desalinated water. This energy and water is delivered in bulk to meet the needs of the state’s utilities and industries under long-term off-taker contracts under utility outsourcing and public-private partnership models.
Learn more: www.acwapower.com
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SOURCE ACWA
