Ali Kelmendi was born in a poor peasant family.
In June 1924, he participated in the resurgency leaded by Fan Noli in Albania as a fighter. After the fall of Noli's regime (December 1924) he emigrated to Italy, thereafter to Austria and then to the Soviet Union. There he joined the Albanian communist group affiliated to the Balkan Confederation of Communist Parties belonging to the Communist International.
In 1930, the Communist International sent Kelmendi to Albania as an organizer of the communist movement. He also made some organizational work in Kosovo. However, his work bore no considerable fruit since Marxism hadn't found any favourable soil in Albania and the clandestine work was very difficult because of the activity of the security police. Kelmendi was arrested several times and in 1936 he was exiled.
Ali Kelmendi participated in the Spanish Civil War in the Garibaldi International Brigade.
In 1939, he edited a propagandist newspaper in France together with other Albanian communists.
Ali Kelmendi died in France on February 11, 1939.