Zina Akrout is an Associate Researcher in Future Government & Innovation at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG). Her areas of expertise include public policy, digital governance, food policy, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

She was selected as one of the Moonshot 2071 Apprentices by the UAE government as part of a programme managed by the Prime Minister's Office and Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation. Before joining MBRSG, Zina worked in public policy & management consulting and as a freelance contributor for The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). She has had work experiences in international organisations (World Bank, OECD), government agencies, and CAC 40 companies.

Zina graduated from the MSc Entrepreneurs between HEC Paris & École Polytechnique in France, holds a Master's in Public Policy (Digital, New Technology & Public Policy) from the Sciences Po Paris School of Public Affairs, and got an MA in Geography of Food from the Sorbonne Université in Paris. She also holds a dual bachelor's in European, Social, and Political Studies from Sciences Po Paris and University College London (UCL).