Abdullah joined the French Communist Party while studying in Paris.[2][3] He was a cofounder of the Communist Party which he headed with Fuad Mursi.[4][5] Following his graduation, Abdullah joined Alexandria University where he worked as a lecturer between 1951 and 1954.[1] He became a faculty member of Cairo University in 1954 and worked there until 1956.[2] One of his pupils at Cairo University was Hazem Bablawi.[2]
Abdullah was an advisor to the Economic Development Organization from 1957 to 1959.[1] Then he headed the Dar Al Maarif Publishing House between 1965 and 1969.[1] He was named as the director general of the Institute of National Planning in 1969 and was appointed minister of planning in 1971.[1] During his tenure he also headed the Institute of National Planning.[6] He was made minister of state for planning in 1972 which he held until 1975.[1] Abdullah was removed from office due to his inability to present a well-established plan to the foreign investors.[7] One of his main activities during his ministerial term was the negotiations about the American aid packages.[8] Abdullah was the last member of the Egyptian leftist technocrats serving in the Egyptian government.[7]
After leaving office Abdullah joined the National Progressive Unionist Party.[9] Although he was assigned to many public posts, he was imprisoned several times between 1955 and 1964 under the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser due to his Communist political leaning.[3][10] Abdullah was again arrested in September 1981 and was released later.[10] Fuad Mursi was also imprisoned with him in the latter incident.[11] An appeal was issued by the Association of Third World Economists in protest over their and others' arrest.[11]
Abdullah founded the Third World Forum in 1975 and headed it for a while.[1]
Abdullah published books on economy and new world order. His books were mostly published by a publishing company headed by Mohamed Fayek.[12]
During the 1970s and 1980s Abdullah analysed the Chinese economic model to offer a solution to the economic development of the Arab world.[13]
