The al-Zawahiri family was considered "upper middle class" while they lived in Maadi.
Ayman had a younger brother, Muhammad al-Zawahiri, and a sister, Heba Mohamed al-Zawahiri.
Ayman's father, Mohammed Rabie al-Zawahiri, came from a large family of doctors and scholars.
Ayman's mother, Umayma Azzam, came from a wealthy, politically active clan. Ayman expressed that he has a deep affection for his mother. Her brother, Mahfouz Azzam, became a role model for Ayman as a teenager.
Zawahiri worked in the medical field as a Surgeon. In 1985, Zawahiri went to Saudi Arabia on Hajj and stayed to practice medicine in Jeddah for a year.
