He is known for portaying prominent characters in Egyptian history like Taha Hussien, Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat.
His ex-wife Hala Fouad died of cancer in 1991.
He originally studied mechanical engineering before becoming an actor.
Egyptian President Mubarak granted Ahmed Zaki the Merit of Arts award for his work in over 50 movies in 2001.
He was diagnosed with lung cancer in January 2004, after which he was treated at a Paris hospital before he returned to Cairo to continue chemotherapy.
