Born in Casablanca in 1966, Amal Ayouch showed interest in acting from an early age, performing on stage at high school. When she was 18, she arrived in Montpellier where she studied to become a pharmacist. While at university, in 1987 she joined a theatre group attached to the French literature department.

She began her film career thanks to another pharmacist, Hassan Benjelloun, who gave her an important part in Les Amis d'hier (1998). Soon afterwards, Hakim Noury invited her to star in Destin de Femme together with Rachid El Ouali. Playing a woman who refused to submit to a difficult husband, she contributed to the film's success.