Prior to joining HBKU, Dr. Zaidan served as Director of the Honors Program at Qatar University and as an Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Development. She also held the position of Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Sustainability at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) and was a lecturer in Development and the Environment at the Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, where she completed her master’s and PhD degrees.

She has been extensively involved in strategic planning, curriculum design and restructuring, conceptualization of new academic initiatives, scientific research and evaluation, partnerships with stakeholders at the national, regional, and international levels, and team leadership and capacity building. A strong advocate for the role of university faculty in societal progress, she currently serves on the Executive Committee of the International Public Policy Association (IPPA) and as Vice Chair of the Association of Middle Eastern Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA). She is also a member of the Global Advisory Board for the “Jobs in the Circular Economy” initiative led by the Circle Economy Foundation, the World Bank, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).