AUB alumnus Musa Freiji (BS Agriculture '57), founder of Tanmia, is widely recognized as “the father of commercial poultry production in Lebanon and the Arab world." A distinguished entrepreneur, he has founded and managed a range of companies across Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. He is also a published author of four books on agriculture and the economy, and three booklets on biosecurity. Freiji has contributed his expertise on numerous technical and economic issues through his service on the Board of Directors of the Lebanese Food Industrialists, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, and in his ongoing engagement as a dedicated alumnus.

Freiji has maintained a longstanding and active relationship with the American University of Beirut (AUB) and its global alumni network, WAAAUB. He served as president of the WAAAUB Agricultural and Food Sciences Chapter (2003-09), chair of the WAAAUB Chapters Committee (2007-09), and a member of the Nominations Committee for the 2009 WAAAUB elections. His contributions also include his service on the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (FAFS) External Advisory Board (2000-21), where he continues to serve as an emeritus member. “Throughout his extraordinary career, Musa Freiji has stayed in touch with his alma mater," commented Associate Vice President for Advancement Salma Oueida.
A long-time benefactor of AUB, Musa Freiji, together with his wife, Amal (BA Elementary Education '57, MA Education '67), and their children, Hala, Ousama, Rula, and Rima, established the Musa and Amal Freiji Endowed Scholarship in 2007 to support students majoring in agriculture.
Freiji is among thousands of students who attended AUB between the early 1950s and the mid-1970s under the Point Four Program of Technical Assistance to Developing Nations, which US President Harry Truman announced in his 1949 inaugural address. Having himself been a scholarship recipient, Freiji deeply understands the transformative impact of financial support—not only on individual students, but also on their families and wider communities. “I must admit that, had it not been for the aforementioned scholarship, I would not have been able to pursue any university studies due to a lack of financial resources to cover tuition and living expenses at AUB," says Freiji. “I am deeply grateful to the Point Four Program of Technical Assistance for providing me with this invaluable opportunity, which ultimately shaped my career and enabled my later contributions to the Arab poultry industry as a whole."
Freiji's most recent contribution to AUB establishes the Musa Freiji Future Leaders Scholarship, which provides financial support to Lebanese undergraduate students from the Beqaa region majoring in agriculture and agribusiness.
“At its heart, agriculture is about stewardship of land, of resources, and of people," says Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences Dean Ammar Olabi. “Through this scholarship, Mr. Freiji is investing in all three. What makes this gift particularly meaningful is that it comes from someone who understands the transformative power of opportunity. Mr. Freiji once walked these halls, and today he is opening that same door for promising young people from the Beqaa. It will be reflected in the farms they improve, the businesses they build, the communities they strengthen, and the generations they inspire. That is the kind of impact that endures long after a scholarship is awarded."
“In these most challenging times, we are especially grateful to alumni like Musa Freiji who recognize the importance of investing in scholarships. The availability of scholarships helps ensure that exceptional students like Musa Freiji are able to attend our university and receive the education and training they need to succeed. When they succeed, we all succeed," commented Senior Vice President for Advancement and Business Development Imad Baalbaki.