Mr. Ali Alshimmari is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Global South Utilities (GSU), where he leads the company’s strategic direction, investment priorities and project development across emerging markets. He focuses on expanding reliable electricity access, developing resilient energy infrastructure and turning energy demand into practical, scalable projects that support economic growth across the Global South.

GSU is a UAE-based utilities infrastructure development and investment company delivering sustainable, reliable and affordable energy and water solutions across the Global South. Its work spans power generation, renewable energy, battery energy storage, water supply and management, and utility operations.

Mr. Alshimmari’s experience covers engineering, project management, asset operations and investment, including previous roles at Masdar and TAQA. Under his leadership, GSU delivered the 50 MW Sakaï solar power project in the Central African Republic, which increased the country’s electricity generation capacity by more than 60%. GSU also delivered the Noor Chad solar project in eight months, as well as a 20 MW solar project with 16 MWh of battery storage across the three islands of the Comoros.

His work has been recognised by the Presidents of the Comoros, the Central African Republic and Chad. In 2026, he was named Knight of the Order of the Green Crescent of Comoros and Commander of the Order of Central African Merit. In 2025, he was named Officer of the National Order of Chad. In 2026, he also received a Highly Commended distinction in the Growth Enabler of the Year category at the Reuters Energy Industry Awards in New York. That same year, he was named in the Renewable Energy category of Forbes Middle East’s Sustainability Leaders.

Mr. Alshimmari is an expert within the UAE National Experts Program and served as a Sustainability Expert and Ambassador for the UAE’s Year of Sustainability. He is also a member of the Global Council for Sustainable Development Goal 7.

Mr. Alshimmari holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the United Arab Emirates University and a Master of Business Administration with honours from Abu Dhabi University.