El Khalili was born in Nablus in 1943. He graduated in 1966 from the Arab University of Beirut with a degree in Business Administration. He worked as a teacher, a journalist, and editor in chief of newspapers, both In Palestine and in Arab countries; and is now a Director General in the Palestinian Ministry of Culture. A prolific writer, he is also a short story writer, a novelist, and has published books on Palestinian folklore.
