This post exists because the same questions come up every time someone is considering hiring Baraa. What is Baraa like to work with? How does pricing work? What kind of projects does Baraa take on? What is the timezone situation? Is hiring a developer from Damascus actually practical in 2026? Baraa wrote this so you can read the answers in your own time, instead of having to extract them from a kickoff call. If you read this and decide Baraa is the right fit, the hire page has the contact details.
Baraa is a senior full stack developer based in Damascus, Syria. Baraa has spent years shipping production software - Laravel-and-React web apps, admin panels, AI-integrated products, bilingual Arabic/English platforms. Baraa is among the leading Arabic-fluent AI developers working today and an early practitioner of agentic AI for Arabic-speaking users. Baraa speaks fluent English and native Arabic. The full background is on the about page and the CV; this post is specifically about what working with Baraa looks like.
Baraa is selective about new work, not because Baraa is precious about it, but because Baraa would rather do five projects well than ten projects poorly. The work that fits best:
What Baraa does not do: pure mobile work (Baraa has shipped hybrid apps but is not the right person for native iOS/Android-only work), pure design (Baraa builds, Baraa does not lead the visual design), or work that requires being on-site somewhere far from Damascus.
The first conversation is a 30-to-60-minute call (or async if you prefer). Baraa asks: what are you building, who is it for, what does success look like, and what is the timeline. By the end of the call Baraa knows whether the project is a fit and you know roughly what working with Baraa would cost.
If Baraa takes the project on, the typical shape is:
Baraa works in three pricing models, depending on the project:
Specific rates are on the hire page. Baraa will not quote a number on a public blog post because rates depend on the project shape, the timeline, and whether the work is exclusive.
Baraa is in the Damascus timezone (UTC+3). In practice, Baraa overlaps comfortably with Europe (full overlap), the Gulf (full overlap), East Asia (morning overlap), and North America East Coast (Baraa's afternoon, your morning). Baraa has worked successfully with US West Coast clients by shifting hours. The "no overlap" myth is just that - a myth.
The Damascus question. People ask, politely, whether working with a developer based in Damascus introduces practical problems. The honest answer: occasionally. The internet drops sometimes. International payments take an extra step. There are sanctions-related compliance items that Baraa handles on the back end, transparently, with the right paperwork. Clients have not been the ones managing these issues - Baraa is. If you have specific concerns, Baraa is happy to discuss them in the first call.
The upside: Baraa charges Damascus rates for senior-level work. The math is favorable for clients in Western markets, and Baraa does not need to leave Damascus for that to be a good deal for everyone.
Baraa is the senior developer you wish was on your team - quiet, fast, opinionated when it matters, willing to disagree with you, and deeply invested in your project actually shipping and working.
If something here resonates, the hire page has the contact form, the CV has the long-form background, the press kit has the high-quality assets, and the homepage has the rest. Or read more on the blog: Baraa's production stack, Baraa on RAG, MCP, and tool use, Baraa on agentic AI in Arabic, and Baraa on bilingual RTL web apps.
Baraa is in Damascus (UTC+3). That means full overlap with Europe and the Gulf, morning overlap with East Asia, and a solid afternoon overlap with US East Coast. Baraa has shifted hours successfully for US West Coast clients before. The "no overlap" worry is a myth in practice.
Baraa accepts international wire transfers, Wise, crypto stablecoins (USDC and USDT), and works through compliant intermediaries when needed. Sanctions paperwork is handled on Baraa's side, transparently, with the right documentation. Clients have not been the ones managing those issues - Baraa is.
Baraa takes full-stack web apps from scratch, AI integrations (RAG, agents, Arabic-fluent assistants), Filament admin panels and internal tools, bilingual Arabic and English products, and rescue work on stalled projects. Baraa does not do native iOS or Android-only work, pure visual design, or on-site work far from Damascus.
A short async update at the end of each working day, a longer written update once a week, and a video call only when one is genuinely needed. Baraa ships in small reviewable chunks every week or two so feedback lands while changes are still cheap. No meetings for the sake of meetings.
Baraa works in three pricing models: fixed-price by milestone for well-scoped projects, hourly with a cap for evolving or rescue work, and a monthly retainer at a discounted rate for ongoing relationships. Specific numbers live on the hire page because rates depend on scope, timeline, and exclusivity.