Acwa, the largest privately-owned water desalination company in the world, an energy transition leader, and a first mover into green hydrogen, has appointed Dr. Samir J. Serhan as chief executive officer, effective on March 1, 2026.
This appointment was a result of an organized and systematic leadership transition and succession process, under the oversight of the Board Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Saudi-based company, a natural progression of executive leadership terms, and the disciplined governance framework of Acwa.
The Board and the former CEO, Marco Arcelli, decided to adopt the envisioned succession process to guarantee continuity and stability. The company’s long-term direction remains unchanged.
Being appointed to Acwa as President of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East just a year ago, Dr. Serhan has been in close contact with the rest of the leadership team and is well prepared to carry this new weight.
Earlier, Dr. Serhan was the chief operating officer of the US-based corporation Air Products, where he had a global responsibility for operational business and project execution of the company with P&L responsibility of the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India.
He also managed such functions as technology, global engineering, manufacturing, and equipment at Air Products. Previously, he had worked as president of Hydrogen at Praxair.
He has 14 years of experience with the Linde Group in management roles in both the US and Germany, most recently as the managing director of Linde Engineering.
Dr. Serhan has over 30 years of experience in leading large-scale industrial and infrastructure organizations globally, a robust history in operational transformation, institutional strengthening, and responsible and profitable growth in highly complex and capital-intensive settings.
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 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. This structured leadership transition reflects the strength of our governance and the maturity of our business platform. Our strategic direction remains clear and unchanged. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Samir Serhan to his new role as CEO of Acwa.”
Dr. Samir J. Serhan, the incoming CEO of Acwa, added, “Every day affords us new opportunities to help our customers and meet pressing energy and water needs around the world. I’m honored to lead Acwa at a pivotal moment 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, sustainable impact worldwide. I look forward to working with our talented Acwa teams around the globe to build on the progress we have achieved and shape the next chapter of our journey.”
Marco Arcelli, the outgoing CEO of Acwa, stated, “Over the past three years, Acwa’s portfolio has doubled in size, and we are on track to double it again by 2030, scaling both our footprint and our impact. Acwa now produces around 25% of the world’s desalinated seawater. We have expanded into new markets, including Azerbaijan, China, Kuwait, and Senegal, while advancing energy export opportunities from Saudi Arabia, and cementing our leadership in green molecules. What we have achieved reflects the scale of our ambition, the discipline of our execution, the dedication of our people, and the trust of our partners.”
Acwa facilitates the prosperity of energy and water security and stability in supply, which are core priorities that are central to economic sustainability and the welfare of communities across the globe.
Currently, Acwa supplies clean drinking water to approximately 34 million people and power to almost 76 million people daily.
