[citation needed] Wahab received little schooling, and became a foreman on the El Mina docks, where merchant ships used smaller, local boats to onload and offload cargo.
[citation needed] This was a lengthy, and labor-intensive process, and Abdul Wahab, with the help of his brother Adel, and enjoying the advantage of having a large family, the Abdul Wahabs, came to dominate the El Mina harbour labour force during the first decade of the 20th century, seeing Kheireddine himself become the owner of the small loading boats, leveraging his labour advantage.
[citation needed] This was the beginning of a long history of shipping, that extended between Cairo and Aleppo, branching out into commercial transport, import and export, in addition to the piloting and harboring business in El Mina.
[citation needed] The project was contracted to a French corporation, which in turn subcontracted it to the local businesses, including Abdul Wahab's.
[citation needed] The French mandate appointed Kheireddine Abdul Wahab as mayor of the newly established city of Al-Askaleh, a position which he held for 20 years until his death.