Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) has appointed Eng. Walid Abukhaled as CEO of the company. It was decided by the company’s board of directors.  The decision comes following his role as acting chief executive officer and is based on his proven ability and competence to manage the company’s business effectively during the past months.

The Board recognized Eng. Walid Abukhaled’s nearly 30-year-long global experience in defense and military industries, during which he held several leadership positions, most prominently CEO for the Middle East at defense giant 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.

Launched in May 2017, SAMI is a state-owned ‎military industries company that is mandated to develop and support the military industries in Saudi Arabia and enhance its self-sufficiency. Aiming to be among the top 25 military industries companies in the ‎world by 2030, SAMI is playing a key role in supporting the localization of 50% of the Kingdom’s ‎total government military spending, working under the directives outlined in the ‎Saudi Vision 2030.

SAMI is combining the latest technologies and the best national talents to develop ‎military products and services at par with international standards across five business ‎divisions – Aeronautics, Land Systems, Weapons and Missiles, Defense Electronics, and Emerging Technologies. ‎The company is also focused on increasing exports and bringing foreign investment to ‎the Kingdom’s military industries sector.

Eng. Walid has won prestigious awards of Top 3 “Revolutionary CEOs in the Middle East” in 2011, “Saudi CEO of the Year” in 2015 and “Middle East CEO Thought Leader of the Year 2018”.

Source- Press release