Zalzali was born on October 18, 1969, in Tyre, a city in Southern Lebanon. His birth name is Ali Ahmed Zalzali. He has two sisters, Joumana and Shat-el-rim, and one brother, Nader, who is Alaa's record distributor and the director of his company Zalzali Production. Alaa Zalzali had a passion in music since his early years. After graduating from high school, Zalzali went to college to study Arabic literature, but left his studies in his second year to join the national conservatory.

Zalzali's first song "Ahla Oyoun" was released in 1990. The song became a hit and helped pioneer Zalzali's career in the music industry. His latest song is the Dalouna which was a great hit. On 2007, Alaa announced a new single called "Ya Nasrallah". The lyrics are based on the efforts and courages of the fighters in South Lebanon during the 2006 Summer War between Hezbollah and Israel.