He was born on December 25, 1917, in Syria. He married the writer and poet Maha Berqdar and they had two sons: Ward and Youssef.
During his Bachelor of Science studies, Dr. Charles Malik taught him philosophy.
He founded House of Writers in Beirut, which published the magazine “Voice of a Woman”. He was the head of administration as well as the editor until 1948.
In 1948, he traveled to the United States of America to work for the United Nations Secretariat in the press and journalism department.
He had planned to return to Lebanon in 1950, but the UN sent him on a mission to prepare Libya for independence. He finally returned to Lebanon in 1955. 

He founded the quarterly magazine “Sha’ar”, meaning poem, which ran from 1957 to 1964. After a brief pause, it resumed publication in 1967. The magazine played a large role in modern poetry and provided a platform for many prominent poets.
In 1967, Dar Al-Nahar publishing house was founded, and Youssef Al Khal was appointed its editor-in-chief.
One of his most noteworthy achievements was his contribution to the Good News Arabic translation of the Bible; it was published the year 2012 which is considered the “Year of the Bible” in Lebanon. This translation is significant because it was approved by all the local churches.
He passed away in 1987 after a prolonged illness.
The Bible Society honored him in 2012 on the 25th anniversary of his death recognizing him as one of the prominent figures that brought the Bible Society in Lebanon to what it is today. His son, Youssef Youssef Al Khal, received the honorary badge on behalf of the family.