Shabana Mahmood MP was born (17 September 1980) and brought up in Small Heath, Birmingham. Between 1981 and 1986 she lived with her family in Taif, Saudi Arabia, as her father relocated there to work as a civil engineer. Her family roots are from Mirpur, Azad Kashmir. When the family returned home to Birmingham, she was educated locally within Birmingham Ladywood constituency, at Small Heath School.