Mammadov was born in 1952 in Azerbaijan. He graduated from the Rostov Railway University and started working as the assistant railway operator in Bilacari depot of the Azerbaijan State Railway in 1971. In 1972–1974, he served in the Soviet Army. Upon his return from military service, he went back to work as the assistant railway operator, and later operator until 1980. In 1980–1983, he served as the Chairman of Communist Party Chapter in the Exploitation Department and then the Chairman of the Committee of Colleagues of Bilacari Locomotive Depot. From 1983 through 1984, Mammadov worked as a dispatcher in Azerbaijan Railway Service, in 1984–1987, as the Assistant Director of Human Resources of Bilacari Locomotive Depot, in 1987–1989 as the substitute director at Davachi depot, in 1989–1991 as the Ganja Locomotive Depot Director. From 1991 until 1993, he was the Director of Locomotive Supplies Service at Azerbaijan Railway Service and from 1993 until 1996, he was the Assistant Director for Locomotive Supplies Service at Azerbaijan State Railway Administration.
Political career
On July 31, 1996 he was appointed the Chairman of the Azerbaijan State Railway Administration by the order No. 379 of the President of AzerbaijanHeydar Aliyev. He served in the position until August 2002. On August 8, 2002 Mammadov was appointed the Minister of Transportation of Azerbaijan Republic by Presidential Decree No. 750. As a minister, Mammadov is a proponent of raising the tariffs for railway freight transportation, one of the cheapest ways of transportation in Azerbaijan. On February 13, 2017Ministry of Transportation of Azerbaijan Republic was reformed into Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies and Ziya Mammadov left his position. During his time as Transportation Minister, road construction cost Azerbaijan $18 million per kilometer, which was the most in the world by one estimate. An offer by Bechtel, an American contractor, to build roads at a cost of $6 million per kilometer were rejected. In his role as Transportation Minister, Mammadov established close relationships with the Darvishis, an Iranian family that has leadership positions in the Revolutionary Guard. At least eight transportation contracts were awarded to the Darvishis, including the Baku-Iranian Astara highway.
Other business
In official government cables released by WikiLeaks, Mammadov was described "notoriously corrupt even for Azerbaijan". Ziya is involved with ZQAN, which has been described as the largest development company in Azerbaijan. ZQAN is an acronym for the family members of the Transportation Minister: Ziya; Qanira, Ziya's wife; Anar, Ziya's son; and Nigar, Ziya's daughter.
He is married and has two children. His son, Anar, is an entrepreneur and is involved in business dealings, such as the unfinished Trump Hotel in Baku. His brother, Elton, is a member of the Parliament.
