About

I’m a builder-first developer: I like getting close to the metal, then polishing the product until it feels effortless.

What I’m great at

Owning messy problems end-to-end: clarifying what matters, designing an approach, shipping a clean implementation, and iterating with feedback. I’m strongest when correctness and performance matter (C/C++, POSIX, memory, concurrency), but I care equally about the surface area — UI clarity, developer ergonomics, and documentation. You’ll get someone who debugs calmly, communicates early, and improves the system instead of patching symptoms.

3+
languages used daily
42
cursus projects shipped
curiosity
Working style
  • Small, solid iterations with clean commits and clear tradeoffs.
  • Comfortable in debugging mode: profiling, logs, repros, and root-cause fixes.
  • High standards on interfaces: readable code, predictable behavior, and good docs.
  • Systems
    C / C++ / POSIX; processes; signals; file descriptors; memory and performance.
  • Graphics
    Linear algebra; 3D transforms; camera space; lighting and shadows; building render pipelines from scratch.
  • Networking
    Sockets; non-blocking I/O; IRC (RFC 1459); multiplexing with poll.
  • DevOps
    Docker; Docker Compose; Nginx TLS/SSL; volumes; networks; deployment automation.
  • Web
    Responsive UI; vanilla JavaScript; API integration; performance and accessibility; shipping-focused freelance work.
  • Oct 2024 — Present
    Freelance Full‑Stack Developer — e‑commerce + portfolio sites.
  • Dec 2023
    Lead Developer — Endless Game Jam (2nd place + “Best Visuals”).
  • WorldSkills Asia 2023
    Event Host (Mental LTD) — Dubai Police activation.
  • Oct 2023 — Present
    Software Development — 42 Abu Dhabi.
  • Feb 2022
    GEMS Our Own Indian School — Mass Media (Dubai).

Selected Work

A few highlights with what I built, how I built it, and why it matters.

ft_irc — IRC Server (C++98)

Networking · Systems programming · 3-person team

C++98 TCP/IP poll() RFC 1459

Co-developed a functional IRC server supporting multiple concurrent clients with non-blocking I/O for real-time chat.

  • Socket architecture with multiplexed event loop
  • Protocol-aware parsing + robust connection handling
  • Focus on correctness, latency, and clean state management

Inception — Containerized Infra

DevOps · Systems · Secure deployment

Docker Compose Nginx TLS MariaDB

Designed and deployed a multi-container stack: Nginx (TLS), WordPress (PHP-FPM), and MariaDB with networks, volumes, and automation.

  • Secure networking + persistent storage via volumes
  • Reproducible orchestration with Docker Compose
  • Operational mindset: configs, hardening, deploy flow

miniRT — Ray Tracer in C

Graphics · Linear algebra · Performance-focused C

C Phong Shadows MiniLibX

Built a ray tracing engine from scratch: intersections, lighting, shadows, and scene parsing to render realistic 3D images without external graphics libraries.

  • Ray-object intersections + camera transforms
  • Scene parsing + stable rendering pipeline
  • Attention to correctness and visual quality

Minishell — Unix Shell

Operating systems · Parsing · Process control

C fork/execve Pipes Signals

Implemented a Bash-like shell: command parsing, pipelines, redirections, heredocs, built-ins, and env handling with careful memory management.

  • Lexer/parser-driven execution model
  • File descriptor discipline and error handling
  • Valgrind-first mindset to avoid leaks

Endless Game Jam — “Best Visuals”

Lead developer · Rapid prototyping · UX + audio

Game Jam Team lead Visual polish Audio design

Led development in a competitive jam, placing 2nd and winning “Best Visuals”. I also composed original soundtracks in a follow-up jam — praised for immersive integration.

  • Built under pressure with clean execution and teamwork
  • Focused on “feel”: feedback loops, visual clarity, moment-to-moment polish
  • Creative + technical blend (code + sound)

Let’s build something

If you’re hiring or want to collaborate, I reply fast.

ahmedaarij05@gmail.com

+971503880691

Download Resume
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42 Abu Dhabi Projects

Some of the most rewarding low-level projects I’ve completed at 42 — built in C from scratch.

A ray tracer written in C using MinilibX. Renders real-time 3D scenes with lighting, shadows, and texture bump mapping. Includes camera controls and custom scene files.

Basic MiniRT Scene
Basic scene
MiniRT Demo
Live demo
MiniRT Texture Comparison
Normal vs bump map

A minimal Bash-like shell in C: pipes, heredocs, redirection, history, built-ins, env handling, and a custom parser.

Minishell Output
Output
Minishell Core Concept
Core concept
Minishell Code
Execution snippet

A stack-based sorting algorithm in C. Uses radix sorting and careful operation selection to optimize performance.

Before and After
Before & after
Sorting Animation
Sorting animation
Performance Graph
Performance
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Hackathons & Experiments

Rapid prototypes, teamwork, and bold ideas. I’m expanding this section — for now, the best highlight is the GameJam winner on the home page.

Want this section to pop?

Send me 2–3 hackathon links or repos and I’ll turn them into clean case-study cards with screenshots, roles, and outcomes.

Message me