Available for new projects

Hi, I’m

Baraa M. Abu Draz Backend Engineer

I help businesses turn ideas into working systems and rescue the ones that are slowing them down — secure, fast web platforms, built with 5+ years of hands-on experience.

  • Free initial consultation
  • Clear scope & price upfront
  • Reply within 1–2 days
View my CV Find me on
Baraa M. Abu Draz — Backend Engineer
5+ Years of
experience
30+ Projects
delivered
15+ Happy
clients

Technologies I work with

Laravel PHP 8 REST APIs MySQL Redis Docker Git Linux
Services

How I Can Help You

Whether you are starting from an idea or already have a system, I make sure the technology behind your business is solid, fast, and ready to grow.

Custom System Development

Have an idea, or a process still running on spreadsheets and WhatsApp? I turn it into a secure web system your team can rely on — dashboards, user roles, payments, and an API for your mobile app — from planning to launch.

What's included
  • Requirements analysis & system design
  • Admin dashboard with user roles & permissions
  • REST API for web & mobile apps
  • Payment gateway & third-party integrations
  • Launch, documentation & handover
Discuss this service

Maintenance, Upgrades & Fixes

Your Laravel app is outdated, buggy, or nobody wants to touch the code? I stabilize it, upgrade it safely, and keep it running so you can focus on your business.

What's included
  • Laravel & PHP version upgrades
  • Bug fixing & error monitoring
  • Security patches & dependency updates
  • Ongoing monthly support
Discuss this service

Performance & Database Optimization

Slow pages lose customers. I find the real bottlenecks — heavy queries, missing indexes, no caching — and make your app fast and ready to handle more users.

What's included
  • Performance audit with a clear report
  • Query & index optimization
  • Caching with Redis & queues
  • Before/after speed measurements
Discuss this service
Not sure what you need? Describe the problem in your own words — I’ll tell you honestly what it needs, even if it’s a small fix.
Ask me
Who Am I

The Person Behind the Code

Baraa M. Abu Draz Backend Engineer

From Idea to a System That Works

I'm Baraa Abu Draz, a Laravel backend developer and the founder of Up Lancer, for digital solutions in Gaza. For over four years I've helped businesses turn their ideas into real, working systems — and fixed existing ones that were slow, unstable, or hard to grow.

I've built secure multi-role platforms for finance, logistics, e-learning, e-commerce, and humanitarian work — including a customs-clearance system for Iraq, an AI-enhanced learning platform, and backends for ride-hailing, car-rental, and online stores. Along the way I've improved backend performance by up to 40% and cut error rates by up to 50%.

Running an agency taught me to think like a client, not just a coder. I start by understanding your business, suggest the simplest solution that solves the real problem, keep you updated in plain language, and deliver clean code your team can build on.

Let’s Work Together View CV

What I care about

  • Clean, maintainable codeCode the next developer can read and extend.
  • Honest communicationClear updates, realistic estimates, no surprises.
  • Performance firstFast systems that stay fast as you grow.
Currently available

Open to freelance & remote projects

Usually replies within 1–2 days

Say hello

My toolbox

Laravel PHP 8 REST APIs MySQL Redis Docker Git Linux
Process

How We Work Together

A simple, transparent process — you always know what is happening and what comes next.

01

Discovery

We talk about your project, the problem, and the goal. No technical jargon needed.

02

Audit & Plan

I review the code or requirements and send a clear plan with scope, timeline, and price.

03

Build & Update

I get to work and share regular progress updates, so there are no surprises.

04

Deliver & Support

You get tested, documented work — plus support after delivery to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Clear scope & price before starting
Regular progress updates
Clean, documented code you own
Support after delivery
My Work

Work I’m Proud Of

Real systems I have built and improved — open any project to see the challenge, the approach, and the result.

Humanitarian Featured

Mueen — Humanitarian Aid Management

A web platform that manages data for displaced families and coordinates aid distribution under crisis conditions — built and deployed free of charge for displacement camps in Gaza.

Laravel PHP MySQL
Logistics Featured

Customs Clearance Management System

A secure multi-role system for contract and import/export operations in Iraq, with isolated dashboards, financial workflows, reporting, and PDF exports.

Laravel PHP MySQL Caching PDF Export
E-Learning Featured

AI-Enhanced E-Learning Platform

A Laravel admin dashboard and documented mobile API for an AI-enhanced learning platform in Saudi Arabia — with a 40% more efficient backend.

Laravel REST API Mobile API AI
Transportation

Darb — Ride-Hailing Platform Stabilization

Fixed critical Firebase push-notification failures on a live ride-hailing platform, making it 35% more stable and cutting error rates by 50%.

Laravel Firebase Push Notifications
E-commerce

Aatene Store — Ads & Dynamic Pricing

An advertising module for store and product campaigns, a scalable dynamic pricing engine, and real-time third-party API integrations for an online marketplace.

Laravel PHP REST API Third-Party APIs
Booking / SaaS

Hairvana — Salon Booking System

A modular admin dashboard and a hardened Node.js API for a salon booking platform — about 40% less duplicated code and 30% fewer API runtime errors.

React TypeScript Tailwind CSS Node.js Express +1
Skills

Technical Skills

Backend Development

Laravel / PHP 95%
RESTful API Design 92%
OOP & Design Patterns 90%
Microservices 78%

Database & Caching

MySQL / PostgreSQL 90%
Redis / Caching 85%
Query Optimization 88%
Eloquent ORM 95%

DevOps & Tools

Git / GitHub 92%
Docker 80%
Linux / CLI 85%
CI/CD Pipelines 75%

Frontend & Other

JavaScript Vue.js HTML/CSS Blade Livewire Alpine.js Postman Nginx AWS PHPUnit Swagger GraphQL
Experience

My Professional Journey

Founder & Lead Backend Developer

Up Lancer — Gaza, Palestine
2021 – Present

I founded and lead a software development agency that delivers Laravel web projects end to end. I mentor the development team, act as the main contact for clients, turn business requirements into practical solutions, and set development standards that reduced production issues and improved delivery quality.

Laravel PHP Team Leadership Client Management

Tech Leader and Backend Developer (Contract)

T8nat — Remote, Saudi Arabia
Feb 2025 – May 2025

Built an AI-enhanced e-learning platform with a Laravel admin dashboard and a documented mobile API, improving backend efficiency by 40%. Fixed critical Firebase push-notification failures on the Darb ride-hailing platform (35% more stable, 50% fewer errors) and optimized a car-rental system by 30–40%.

Laravel REST API Firebase Performance

Backend Developer (Contract)

Aatene Store — Remote, Palestine
Oct 2023

Designed an advertising module for both store-level and product-level campaigns, built a dynamic, scalable pricing engine, and integrated third-party APIs for reliable real-time data exchange.

Laravel E-commerce API Integration

Backend Developer (Contract)

Custom Clearance System — Remote, Iraq
Jun 2023 – Sep 2023

Architected a secure multi-role system with isolated dashboards and permission-based access for contract and import/export operations. Delivered financial workflows, reporting dashboards, and PDF exports, and improved reliability with caching, query optimization, rate limiting, and audit logging.

Laravel Multi-Role Caching Reporting

Backend Developer

Bani Square — Gaza, Palestine
Mar 2020 – May 2020

Developed and maintained Laravel web applications, integrated RESTful APIs for core features and external data exchange, and optimized SQL queries to improve application performance.

Laravel PHP REST API SQL
Contact

Let’s Talk About Your Project

Tell me briefly what you need. You will get a clear answer on how I can help, how long it takes, and what it costs — no obligation.

Request a free consultation

I reply personally, usually within 1–2 days. You will also get a confirmation email.

Curriculum Vitae

Baraa M. Abu Draz · Backend Engineer
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