Acwa names Samir Serhan as CEO in leadership transition

RIYADH, March 2, 2026 – Saudi Arabia’s Acwa has appointed Samir J. Serhan as chief executive officer effective March 1, 2026, as part of a structured succession process, the company announced on Sunday.

Serhan, president for Saudi Arabia and the Middle East at Acwa since 2025 and former CEO of US-based Air Products, succeeds Marco Arcelli, who will remain as an advisor to the chairman. The board stated that the move follows a planned transition overseen by its nomination and remuneration committee, with the company’s long-term strategy remaining unchanged.

“We are grateful for Marco’s leadership in advancing Acwa’s strategy and accelerating our growth trajectory. This structured leadership transition reflects the strength of our governance and the maturity of our business platform,” said Mohammad Abunayyan, founder and chairman of the board of directors of Acwa.

Earlier in his career, Serhan served as president of Praxair’s hydrogen business and held leadership positions in Germany and the US for the Linde Group. Acwa touted his experience in large infrastructure companies and his track record delivering growth in capital-intensive environments as motivations for his appointment.

“I am honoured to lead Acwa as the company accelerates profitable global growth in renewable energy, water desalination and green hydrogen solutions – including advancing green hydrogen to decarbonise heavy industries – to deliver scalable, sustainable impact worldwide,” said Sehran.

Outgoing CEO Marco Arcelli said that over the past three years the company’s portfolio has doubled in size and is on track to double again by 2030, noting that Acwa now produces around 25% of the world’s desalinated seawater and has expanded into Azerbaijan, China, Kuwait and Senegal while advancing Saudi Arabia’s energy exports.

Listed on the Saudi Exchange and headquartered in Riyadh, Acwa is the world’s largest private water desalination company and a major developer and operator of power generation plants.

Photo of Samir J. Serhan courtesy of Acwa

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