[1][2] He was born 1883 in Sidon, Ottoman Empire (now Lebanon[3][4]) and was of Albanian[5][6] origin, being to referred to as al-Arnauti by contemporaries such as Nabih al-Azma, Izzat Darwaza and ‘Ajaj Nuwayhid.

[8] In 1925, he became the Director General of Awqaf in Mandatory Palestine, the organisation headed by Haj Amin Husseini, which controlled and regulated properties bequeathed to charities under Islamic law.

In 1939, he was allowed to attend the London Conference at St. James Palace, where he urged the Higher Committee to accept the British proposals later set out in the 1939 White paper.

[13] On 9 July 1948, following the declaration of Israeli statehood, the Arab League set up the Administrative Council for Palestine, chaired by Hilmi.

[citation needed] The assembly ceased to function following the Israeli army victories in Southern Palestine and the Arab Legion assuming control over Bethlehem and Hebron.

[citation needed] In 1949 Hilmi became a district military governor in the West Bank and later he served as the Palestinian representative to the Arab League.