Born in Siirt in 1947, he graduated from Kabatas High School for Boys in Istanbul after his elementary and secondary school education in Siirt. Having received his bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Forestry of Istanbul University, Aral has never worked as a forest engineer but chosen to work in the publishing industry.

Fahri Aral has been in the publishing industry since 1967 and taken various roles, from proofreading to editing and editorial directing. At first, he served as the editor-in-chief at May Yayinlari, and then at Iletisim Yayinlari, which he founded, and as the executive editor at Sabanci and Istanbul Bilgi Universitesi Yayinlari and Mimar Sinan Guzel Sanatlar Universitesi Yayinlari.

Having also served as a manager in various professional organizations in Turkish publishing industry, Fahri Aral has been the vice president of the Turkish Publishers Association for three terms.