SAMI names Omar AlMadhi as interim CEO; Walid Abukhaled exits
Appointments#Movements#BusinessTransformation
Anjum Khan
Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company (SAMI) has announced the appointment of Eng. Omar AlMadhi as the interim Chief Executive Officer, following the immediate resignation of Eng. Walid Abukhaled.
The company stated, “We announce the Board of Directors' decision to accept the resignation of Eng. Walid Abukhaled from his position as CEO of the company. The Board of SAMI thanks Eng. Walid for his dedication to driving the company's vision and success during his tenure. The Board has also appointed Eng. Omar AlMadhi, Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Board Executive Committee, as interim CEO. As the leading national partner for the defense and security sector, SAMI remains committed to its mission of developing and supporting the defense industry in Saudi Arabia.”
Eng. Walid has been with the company since 2019, initially joining as the Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer. He was later appointed CEO after Dr. Andreas Schwer stepped down to join the Australian company Electro Optic Systems. Eng. Walid has not provided a specific reason for his resignation.
In his new role, Eng. Omar brings a wealth of leadership experience. He has been serving SAMI as Vice Chairman of the Board since 2023. He also currently serves as the Co-Head of Direct Investments for the MENA Investments Division of the Public Investment Fund, Chairman of the Board for Saudi Iron and Steel Company, TASARU Mobility Investments, Jada Funds, Alat, NEOM Investment Funds, Awad Capital, and is a Board Member for Riyad Bank and ACWA Power.
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On the academic front, Eng. Omar holds an MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the MIT Sloan School of Management, a BSE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and has completed an Executive Education Program in Global Leadership and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.
