The Board of Directors of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) announced the appointment of Eng. Walid Abukhaled as acting CEO to oversee the company’s operations.
Abukhaled will be taking over from Dr. Andreas Schwer who has served as the company’s chief executive since January 1, 2018.
On its website, SAMI announced that the decision was made after the assessment of SAMI’s achievements since its inception, which included leveraging the international military industries’ experiences in the transfer of technology and best practices as well as the company's growth to its current position.
The move also comes in line with the company’s overarching aim of localizing these experiences with a deeper understanding of the needs of internal and external customers and achieving the Saudization of leadership positions, SAMI added.
Further, the Board of Directors expressed its gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Schwer for his active role in the establishment of the company during the past nearly two and a half years, and for his contributions and expertise that have enabled SAMI to accomplish many remarkable milestones, wishing him every success in his future career.
The decision to name Abukhaled, SAMI’s Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer, as acting CEO until further notice, comes in recognition of his in-depth knowledge and almost three decades of distinguished career in the military industries.
Abukhaled gained his extensive experience by serving several prominent positions, including CEO for the Middle East at Northrop Grumman, Deputy Minister of Industrial Affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry, President and CEO of General Electric in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, and Chairman of the Operations Board and Director of Strategic Investments Group at BAE Systems in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, among others.
