Ahmed holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Current and former chair of Comparative Literature at Queens College, City University of New York, he teaches courses in African, Middle Eastern, and European literature. His poetry and short stories have also been translated into several languages, including Japanese and the languages spoken in the former Yugoslavia. His books include The Invention of Somalia (Red Sea Press, 1995), Daybreak Is Near: Literature, Clans, and the Nation-State in Somalia (Red Sea Press, 1996), and Fear Is a Cow (Red Sea Press, 2002).

Ahmed currently teaches Comparative Literature at Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

• The Invention of Somalia, (The Red Sea Press: 1995), ISBN 978-0-932415-99-8, OCLC 31376757
• Daybreak is Near: Literature, Clans, and the Nation-state in Somalia, (Red Sea Press: 1997), ISBN 978-1-56902-023-4, OCLC 34633323
• Fear is a Cow, (The Red Sea Press: 2002), ISBN 978-1-56902-159-0, OCLC 48263696
• Diaspora Blues, (The Red Sea Press: 2005), ISBN 1-56902-239-9
• The Road Less Traveled: Reflections On The Literatures Of The Horn Of Africa , (The Red Sea Press: 2008), ISBN 1-56902-207-0

• Ali Jimale Ahmed, The Invention of Somalia, (The Red Sea Press: 1995), ISBN 978-0-932415-99-8, OCLC 31376757
• Ali JImale Ahmed, Daybreak is Near: Literature, Clans, and the Nation-state in Somalia, (Red Sea Press: 1997), ISBN 978-1-56902-023-4, OCLC 34633323
• Ali Jimale Ahmed, Fear is a Cow, (The Red Sea Press: 2002), ISBN 978-1-56902-159-0, OCLC 48263696
• Ali Jimale Ahmed, Diaspora Blues, (The Red Sea Press: 2005), ISBN 1-56902-239-9

• Queens College - Department of Comparative Literature - Ali Jimale Ahmed