[5] Tariq Ahmad was educated at Rutlish School, Merton Park, southwest London.

[7][8] In 2004, he joined Sucden Financial, where he served on the Executive Committee and as Director of Marketing, Strategy and Research.

In 2016, he was appointed Minister for Aviation, International Trade and Europe at the Department for Transport in the first May ministry.

After the 2017 general election, Ahmad was appointed Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with responsibilities to the Commonwealth, the United Nations, and the Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, and later South Asia, the Middle East[6] and North Africa.

[3] In the 2024 King's Birthday Honours, he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) "for services to British foreign policy, humanitarian affairs and the Commonwealth, faith and integration, community and families in the UK.".