Al-Qaradawi received her Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1981 from Qatar University in Doha, Qatar. She then attended Bedford College, University of London for her Master of Science degree in nuclear physics in 1984. She obtained her PhD in positron physics from the Royal Holloway College, University of London in 1991. She then worked as an assistant professor at Qatar University until 2009, when she was promoted to professor. She held a research fellowship at the University of London working on positron physics from 1998 to 1999.