Mahmoud Kabil was born in Cairo, Egypt. His father, Dr. Ibrahim Kabil, was head of the internal revenue service in Alexandria and the Western provinces as well as the Minister of Finance in the shadow government of the Saadi opposition party before the 1952 coup. At his death in 1959, Mahmoud was 12. Kabil was educated at the Lycee Francais of Alexandria before joining the Military of Egypt in 1964 at the age of 18. Serving until 1973 as an officer and captain in the Special Forces, Kabil participated in the Yemen War, the Six-Day War, and the War of Attrition.