SAMI Announces Walid Abukhaled as Interim Chief Executive Officer
Notification: Attempting to access a property “post_title” on null.
Notification: Attempting to access a property “post_parent” on null.
Notification: Attempting to access a property “post_name” on null.
Warning: rtrim(): Providing null to parameter #1 ($string) is deprecated.
Notification: Attempting to access a property “ID” on null.
Notification: Attempting to access a property “post_excerpt” on null.
Warning: Attempting to access an array offset on a boolean value.
Warning: Attempting to access a property “post_title” on null.
The Board of Directors of Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has declared the appointment of Eng. Walid Abukhaled as the interim CEO to manage the company’s operations commencing from April 23, 2020, until further notice. Eng. Abukhaled will succeed Dr. Andreas Schwer, who has been CEO since January 1, 2018.
This decision stems from the Board’s evaluation of SAMI’s accomplishments since its establishment, as Dr. Schwer concludes his term. Under his leadership, the company has effectively utilized insights from global military industries, focusing on technology transfer and best practices, which has facilitated SAMI’s current standing. Additionally, this transition aligns with the organization’s primary objective of localizing expertise while thoroughly understanding the requirements of both domestic and international clients, and achieving Saudization in leadership roles.
The Board of Directors conveyed its gratitude to Dr. Schwer for his significant contributions in founding the company over the past two and a half years. His expertise has empowered SAMI to reach numerous significant milestones, and the Board wishes him great success in his future endeavors.
The appointment of Eng. Walid Abukhaled, currently serving as SAMI’s Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer, as acting CEO recognizes his extensive knowledge and nearly thirty years of esteemed experience in the defense industry. Eng. Abukhaled has held several high-ranking positions, including CEO for Northrop Grumman in the Middle East, Deputy Minister of Industrial Affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry, President and CEO of General Electric in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as Chairman of the Operations Board and Director of Strategic Investments Group at BAE Systems in both the UK and Saudi Arabia.
SAMI’s Board expressed its confidence in Eng. Abukhaled’s leadership skills and wished him success in his new interim role as CEO, anticipating that he will play an instrumental part in achieving the company’s objectives and fulfilling Saudi Arabia’s ambitions.
