Zainab graduated from Hasanuddin University in South Sulawesi, majoring in Archaeology and also from James Cook University's School of Earth and Environmental Science, Australia, majoring in Marine Protected Area Management. Zainab has been working as a Marine Heritage Analyst for the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries since 2005. One of her responsibilities is managing the Marine Heritage Gallery, which opened in March 2017. This gallery specifically exhibits artefacts recovered from shipwrecks in Indonesian waters, including Chinese ceramics from the 9th – 13th centuries, fine pottery, glass bottles from the Middle East, and several metal artefacts. Zainab's activities include designing a public gallery program including regular learning session activities. Zainab feels that there are still many things to learn in order to create an interactive and engaging museum educational activity. One of her plans that will be carried out after the pandemic is conducting museum roadshows to schools.