Abdirahman was born on 28 October 1956 in Zeila, then British Somaliland (now Somaliland). He completed his primary and intermediate education in Borama, the capital of the western Awdal region after which he then moved to Hargeisa to pursue his higher education. He attended the Hargeisa Technical Institute between 1975 and 1979 where he graduated as a construction engineer.[1]
Before entering politics, Abdirahman was a businessman. He ran Borama Construction Company (BCC), which contributed to the building of many regions of Somaliland between 1980 and 2002.[1]
Political career
In 2003 Abdirahman joined the Kulmiye party, and in 2008 he was appointed the vice-chairman of the party and the running mate of Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud (Silanyo). In the presidential elections of 2010, Abdirahman Abdillahi Ismail was elected Vice-President of Somaliland.[1][3] He ran alongside Muse Bihi Abdi in the subsequent 2017 election where he was re-elected as vice-president.[4]