Who Is Samir Serhan? ACWA Power’s CEO and His Career
Last updated: October 5, 2026
Dr. Samir J. Serhan is the chief executive officer of ACWA Power, the Riyadh-headquartered power, water-desalination and green-hydrogen developer majority-backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. He took over the role on March 1, 2026, in a succession the company described as planned, after a career spent almost entirely in industrial gases and engineering rather than in power or water.
Current Position
| Role | Chief Executive Officer, ACWA Power |
| In role since | March 1, 2026 |
| Predecessor | Marco Arcelli (CEO, March 2023 – February 2026) |
| Based in | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
Education
Serhan holds a doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in the United States.
Career Timeline
| Period | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2026–present | ACWA Power | Chief Executive Officer |
| 2025–2026 | ACWA Power | President, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East |
| Prior to 2025 | Air Products | Chief Operating Officer (global P&L for the Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India; also led technology, global engineering, manufacturing and equipment functions) |
| Earlier | Praxair | President, Hydrogen |
| 14 years, earlier career | Linde Group | Various leadership roles in the US and Germany, culminating as Managing Director, Linde Engineering |
Exact start and end years for each prior role were not independently disclosed in the sources reviewed; the sequence above reflects the order reported by ACWA Power and energy trade press at the time of his CEO appointment.
Previous Companies
- Air Products — global industrial gases company; Serhan served as Chief Operating Officer before joining ACWA Power.
- Praxair — industrial gases company (merged into Linde plc in 2018); Serhan was President, Hydrogen.
- Linde Group — industrial gases group; 14 years in leadership roles in the US and Germany, including Managing Director of Linde Engineering.
Major Energy Projects
As CEO, Serhan now oversees ACWA Power’s full project portfolio, including its one-third stake in the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project — a joint venture with Air Products, his former employer, and NEOM Company. His immediately preceding role as President for Saudi Arabia and the Middle East placed him over the company’s home-market portfolio, including the Taiba 1 and Qassim 1 gas plants, which began commercial operations in late September 2026, shortly before his CEO appointment.
Board Memberships
No independently verified outside board memberships for Serhan were found in official ACWA Power materials or energy trade press as of this writing. This profile will be updated if credible sources confirm any.
Current Responsibilities
Serhan leads ACWA Power’s overall strategy, operations and growth across its three core lines — power generation, water desalination and green hydrogen/ammonia — reporting to Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan and the board. He succeeded Marco Arcelli at a point when the company was expanding rapidly in Central Asia, Africa and China while also managing a large, diversified Saudi domestic asset base.
Related Companies
- ACWA Power — full company profile, ownership and project portfolio
- NEOM Green Hydrogen Project — joint venture with Air Products and NEOM Company
- ACWA Power Careers — verified open roles
- Wael Sawan — CEO, Shell plc, for comparison with another current major-energy-company chief executive
Latest News
Serhan’s appointment was announced in early 2026 and took effect March 1, 2026. Weeks earlier, ACWA Power’s Taiba 1 and Qassim 1 gas plants — part of the Saudi domestic portfolio he had overseen as regional president — began commercial operations. In March 2026, ACWA Power reported FY2025 results showing a 20% rise in operating income and SAR 1.9 billion in net profit, the first full-year results disclosed since his appointment was announced.
Net Worth
No reliable public estimate is available.
Sources
- Arab News — “Acwa appoints Samir Serhan as CEO in planned succession”
- Hydrogen Insight — ACWA Power new CEO appointment coverage
- PeopleMatters Middle East — ACWA Power appoints Dr. Samir J. Serhan as new CEO
- SmartWaterMagazine — ACWA board names Dr. Samir J. Serhan Chief Executive Officer
- ACWA Power official media center (acwapower.com)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is ACWA Power’s CEO?
Dr. Samir J. Serhan, who became CEO on March 1, 2026.
Who was ACWA Power’s CEO before Samir Serhan?
Marco Arcelli, who led the company from March 2023 until February 2026.
What did Samir Serhan do before ACWA Power?
He was Chief Operating Officer of Air Products, after earlier roles as President, Hydrogen at Praxair and 14 years in leadership positions at Linde Group.
What is Samir Serhan’s educational background?
He holds a doctorate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech).
Illustrative image. Photo: B.alotaby, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons — source
