After obtaining a degree in Mathematics, Zeenut Ziad studied Economics at the London School of Economics. She taught Economics at the University of Karachi and, later, became the first woman executive in Pakistani banking. Among other professional assignments, she was an economic consultant with the World Bank in Washington DC.

Pursuing a long standing interest in South Asian history, in particular the Mughal period, she organised a highly successful lecture series on the Mughal Empire at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. The success of the series and the need for a comprehensive text covering major areas of Mughal history led to the creation of her book, "The Magnificent Mughals" (Oxford, 2003). In collaboration with Dr. Reza Aslan, she co-edited the book, "Tablet and Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East" (Norton, 2011).

Ms. Ziad has lectured widely in educational institutions worldwide, and taught courses on Mughal history at American University and George Mason University in Washington, D.C. She was also involved in Muslim advocacy and interfaith work in the US for more than two decades.

She has served on the boards of cultural organisations in the United States, Turkey, Eastern Europe, and Pakistan, and as an adviser to the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan on the State Bank Museum restoration and conservation.