Iskaliev Makhambet Zakariyaly was born on July 4, 1965, in the village of Krasnoyar, Akzhaik district, West Kazakhstan region. He studied at the Krasnoyar Secondary School from 1972 to 1982. From 1983 to 1984, he studied at the TU-78 school in the city of Molodechno, Belarus, where he specialized in the maintenance and repair of radio equipment.

From October 14, 1984, to February 2, 1987, he served in the Soviet Army. Between February 2, 1985, and February 2, 1987, he fulfilled his internationalist duty in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. For his military service, he was awarded several medals, including the "70th Anniversary of the Soviet Armed Forces," "Veteran of Combat Operations," "From the Grateful Afghan People," and the "20th Anniversary of the Withdrawal of Soviet Troops from Afghanistan," along with certificates of honor.

From 1987 to 1997, he worked as an economist at the Taipek District State Bank. Between 1997 and 2007, he worked as a production training master and vocational subject teacher at Vocational School No. 10. From 2007 to 2014, he served as the deputy director for discipline. In 2014, due to health reasons, he was granted first-group disability status and retired.

On January 6, 2024, Afghan War veteran Iskaliev Makhambet Zakariyaly passed away.