#3Maher Merehbi

For nearly six decades, Arabian Construction Company (ACC) has established a reputation for delivering complex, high-profile projects that have shaped cities, strengthened economies, and supported national development across the Middle East. Building on this foundation, the company expanded into Africa in 1998, bringing the same engineering expertise, disciplined project delivery, and long-term commitment to a growing portfolio of landmark public and private sector developments.

At the forefront of that journey is Maher Merehbi, Chief Executive Officer of ACC Group.

With more than 38 years of construction industry experience, Merehbi has spent over three decades with ACC, joining the company in 1992 before being appointed CEO in 2008. During his tenure, he has guided multiple phases of regional expansion while reinforcing ACC's position as one of the Middle East's most respected contractors. His leadership philosophy has remained consistent throughout: prioritise technical excellence, empower leadership teams, maintain disciplined governance and deliver certainty for clients.

That philosophy continues to shape ACC's growth across the GCC and Africa.

Under Merehbi's leadership, ACC has delivered a portfolio of landmark developments including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Address Sky View in Downtown Dubai, World Trade Center Abu Dhabi, Jabal Omar Developments in Makkah, alongside numerous residential, commercial and government projects. Together, these developments have reinforced ACC's reputation for delivering highly complex projects where precision, coordination and programme certainty are essential.

Rather than pursuing growth for its own sake, Merehbi has positioned ACC around sectors where the company brings proven technical expertise. High-rise towers, mixed-use developments, institutional facilities, hospitality projects and large-scale residential communities remain at the core of the business, supported by integrated engineering, commercial management, project controls, and mature project governance frameworks.

This focused strategy has become increasingly important as construction activity accelerates across the Middle East and Africa. As Saudi Arabia, the UAE and neighbouring markets continue investing in transformative developments, ACC remains selective, concentrating on projects that align with its engineering strengths, operational discipline and risk management framework. The result is a resilient business built on the quality of its project portfolio rather than volume alone.

Beyond project delivery, Merehbi has championed a culture centred on people and long-term organisational capability. Many of ACC's senior leaders have spent more than two decades with the business, creating exceptional continuity across operations while preserving institutional knowledge that directly supports project delivery. Decision-making is guided by structured governance, transparent communication and accountability, empowering leadership teams while maintaining rigorous oversight throughout every stage of execution.

This people-first philosophy extends across ACC's workforce of approximately 26,000 employees. Representing dozens of nationalities and technical disciplines, the organisation combines international expertise with local market knowledge to deliver increasingly sophisticated projects across multiple geographies.

Recognising the growing role of technology in modern construction, Merehbi has championed the practical adoption of digital solutions throughout ACC's operations. Building Information Modelling (BIM) has become a standard across major projects, supported by wider implementation of digital engineering platforms, advanced project controls, artificial intelligence and automation. Together, these technologies improve coordination between architectural, structural and MEP disciplines while enhancing construction predictability, programme visibility and project quality.

Sustainability has also become an integral part of ACC's operating model. Under Merehbi's leadership, the company has strengthened its alignment with regional and international green building standards while promoting energy-efficient systems, responsible procurement practices and environmentally conscious construction methodologies. Increasingly, sustainability is viewed not simply as a compliance requirement, but as an essential element of delivering resilient, future-ready developments.

This approach is reflected throughout ACC's current project portfolio.

In the UAE, Saadiyat Lagoons supports Abu Dhabi's long-term urban development through integrated residential communities, while the Jubail Island villa packages demonstrate ACC's expertise in delivering complex waterfront developments across multiple construction packages. In Saudi Arabia, the Alinma Bank Headquarters reflects the company's capabilities in delivering Grade A commercial developments that contribute to the Kingdom's economic diversification ambitions.

Across Africa, ACC continues to contribute to national development programmes through projects such as the Administrative City developments in Benin and Guinea. These purpose-built government precincts support institutional modernisation while demonstrating ACC's ability to deliver complex public-sector developments backed by long-standing institutional financing partnerships and Export Credit Agency (ECA) financing.

Looking ahead, Merehbi's vision remains focused on disciplined, sustainable growth.

The UAE will continue to serve as ACC's operational foundation, complemented by strategic expansion across Saudi Arabia's evolving real estate, industrial and infrastructure sectors, together with carefully selected opportunities in Egypt and West Africa. Across every market, the objective remains consistent: to pursue technically demanding, high-value developments where ACC's engineering capability, governance standards and integrated delivery model create lasting value for clients.

For Merehbi, success is measured not by the number of projects secured, but by the quality of projects delivered, the strength of long-standing client relationships and the lasting contribution each development makes to the communities it serves.

As governments across the Middle East and Africa continue investing in transformative national programmes, ACC enters its next chapter guided by the same principles that have defined the company for nearly 60 years: disciplined leadership, engineering excellence and an unwavering commitment to building assets that stand the test of time.