Dr. Raja Lahiani started her academic journey with a BA in English Language and Literature. She managed to quench her passion for classical Arabic literature by treading the by-then relatively new field of comparative literature in her Masters journey at the University of La Manouba, Tunisia. Good chance placed her at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), The University of London, where she accomplished her PhD degree in 2005.

Upon recommendation by her PhD jury examiners, she published her thesis into a book entitled Eastern Luminaries Disclosed to Western Eyes: a Critical Assessment of the Translations of the Muʿallaqāt into English and French (1782-2000), Peter Lang in 2008. Dr. Lahiani's research interests cover comparative literature, translation studies, literary translation, British literature, and translation quality assessment. Her extensive body of work encompasses numerous articles which have been featured in reputable, high-impact, peer-reviewed journals. Her research findings are regularly disseminated through presentations at prestigious international conferences organized by universities with high QS rankings.

Additionally, she regularly engages in peer review activities for high-indexed journals. Dr Raja is also a member of the editorial board of Translation Studies: Theory and Practice, a journal that gathers within its editorial team prominent scholars in the field. Her memberships in the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), the Modern Language Association (MLA), the International Association of Comparative Literature (AILC-ICLA), the European Society for Translation Studies and the Research Laboratory in Approaches to Discourse (University of Sfax, Tunisia) reflect the importance that she gives to networking and collaboration. Dr. Raja Lahiani has also been enriching her academic career through teaching positions at various universities, starting in Tunisia, her native country. She then moved to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where she served as chair of the Department of English Language at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University.

In 2017 she joined UAE University. She currently serves as an associate professor within the Translation Studies Program, Department of Languages and Literature, at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Added to her research and teaching roles, Dr Raja Lahiani is active in serving at diverse committees at the university, college and department levels. Away from academia, Dr. Raja is proud to belong to a family that supports her and believes in her, and she cherishes her motherhood to two youngsters. She loves traveling and is passionate about confectionery arts.