A side by side extension
A standalone application that adds a feature, screen or automated process around SAP S/4HANA or another SAP system, without changing the core system’s own code.
SAP
Hire an SAP BTP developer in Dubai
Extending SAP S/4HANA and other SAP applications with new cloud native functionality on SAP Business Technology Platform, built alongside the core system rather than inside it.
- 4.7 Google rating
- 200+ clients
- In Dubai since 2018
45 minutesto a fixed written quote
A growing number of Dubai businesses hire an SAP BTP developer when they need new functionality built against SAP S/4HANA without touching the core system’s own code. SAP Business Technology Platform is SAP’s cloud platform for exactly this kind of side by side extension: a separate application that reads and writes data through defined interfaces, deployed and upgraded on its own schedule, so the underlying SAP system’s own upgrade path stays untouched.
The platform offers more than one way to build. Cloud Foundry and Kyma runtimes suit an extension written in Node.js, Java or another common language using the SAP Cloud Application Programming Model, while the ABAP environment lets a team stay in ABAP Cloud and reuse existing SAP skills for the same kind of clean, side by side build. Choosing between them, and building something that survives the next S/4HANA upgrade untouched, is the core of what an SAP BTP developer in Dubai is actually hired to do. Most businesses that hire an SAP BTP developer in Dubai are adding to an S/4HANA system they already run, rather than starting an SAP landscape from nothing.
What gets built
What an SAP BTP developer builds
Concrete deliverables, not a general description of the platform.
A data model and service layer
Built with Core Data Services and the Cloud Application Programming Model, exposing a clean, documented interface rather than direct database access.
Connectivity back to SAP systems
Destinations, connectivity services and, where the source system sits on premise, a Cloud Connector, so the extension can read and write real data safely.
A build and deployment pipeline
A repeatable way to test, package and deploy the extension to Cloud Foundry, Kyma or the ABAP environment, rather than a manual, one off release.
Skills that matter
What to check before you hire an SAP BTP developer
Skills specific to building on the platform properly, not general cloud experience.
| Skill or tool | What good looks like | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| SAP Cloud Application Programming Model | Comfortable designing a CDS data model and a service definition before writing handler code | A weak data model is expensive to unpick once other systems depend on the service |
| Environment choice | Can explain, for a given extension, why Cloud Foundry, Kyma or the ABAP environment fits it better than the alternatives | The wrong environment adds cost and complexity that only shows up later |
| Authorization and trust management | Understands how roles and scopes are defined and assigned for a BTP application, not just how to switch security off in a test system | An extension that touches real SAP data needs real access control from day one |
| Connectivity | Has configured destinations and, where needed, a Cloud Connector, for a system that genuinely sits on premise | Most extensions are only useful once they can reach real SAP data reliably |
| Continuous integration and delivery | Has a working pipeline they can describe end to end, including how a broken build is caught before release | Manual deployment is where BTP projects quietly start to drift and break |
SAP’s own SAP Business Technology Platform documentation sets out the Cloud Foundry, Kyma and ABAP environments in detail, and it is worth asking a candidate to walk through it with you rather than taking their summary at face value before you hire an SAP BTP developer for a real project.
Ways to work with us
Ways to hire an SAP BTP developer in Dubai
A dedicated developer suits a business with an ongoing backlog of extensions and automations to build on SAP BTP, working inside your team on a monthly basis. Project based development suits one clearly scoped extension, agreed in writing, handed over with code, documentation and access at the end. Recruitment support suits a business building its own permanent SAP BTP capability, where we help write the role, source candidates and run the technical assessment while you hire directly. Consulting and architecture work suits an earlier decision, such as which environment and extensibility pattern actually fits your S/4HANA landscape, before any build begins. Whichever route you choose, most clients who hire an SAP BTP developer in Dubai start with a single extension before deciding whether to keep the arrangement going.
Useful before we scope BTP work
- Which SAP system the extension needs to read or write
- Whether that system is cloud, on premise or both
- Any existing BTP subaccount or environment already in use
- Who will own the subaccount and pipeline after handover
Assessing a candidate
How to assess an SAP BTP developer
Checks aimed at extension work specifically, not general programming ability.
Ask to see a finished, deployed extension
Not a tutorial project. A real side by side extension, even a small one, shows whether they can take a build through to a working deployment.
Review their data model reasoning
Ask why the CDS model was structured the way it was. A candidate who can only describe syntax, not decisions, will struggle on a real project.
Ask them to justify their environment choice
Cloud Foundry, Kyma or the ABAP environment, for a specific scenario you describe. A confident, reasoned answer matters more than a memorised preference.
Check their authorization setup on a past project
Ask what roles and scopes they defined and why. Security bolted on at the end is a common, expensive mistake on BTP projects.
Ask how deployment is automated, not just how it is done manually
A candidate who can only describe a manual release process is unlikely to keep a growing set of extensions maintainable.
Certifications
Certifications for an SAP BTP developer in Dubai
What the credential proves, and how to check it was genuinely earned.
SAP Certified, Backend Developer, SAP Cloud Application Programming Model
SAP’s associate level exam for this profile, covering the Cloud Application Programming Model, SAP Business Technology Platform, authorization and connectivity to SAP systems both on premise and in the cloud. Confirm the current title and exam code on SAP’s own certification catalogue, since SAP updates these regularly. It is a reasonable, though not essential, credential to ask for when you hire an SAP BTP developer in Dubai for cloud native extension work.
How to verify it
SAP issues certification badges through Credly, and a candidate can share their badge directly from their Credly account. Ask to see it rather than taking a certificate title on a CV at face value, and pair it with the practical checks above.
This role sits inside our SAP category, part of hire developers in Dubai. Where the extension needs a front end, our SAP Fiori developer and SAP UI5 developer pages cover that work, and where the underlying platform work is connecting systems rather than building a new application, our SAP integration developer page describes that instead. For decisions about the wider landscape an extension sits inside, our SAP solution architect page is the relevant one, and our cloud services team can take on ongoing hosting once an extension is live.
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions
What does an SAP BTP developer actually build?
Side by side extensions: separate applications that add a feature, screen or automated process around SAP S/4HANA or another SAP system, communicating through defined interfaces instead of custom code inside the core system.
Why build on SAP BTP instead of customising S/4HANA directly?
A side by side extension keeps its own release schedule and does not sit inside the core system, so an S/4HANA upgrade is less likely to break it. It is SAP's own recommended pattern for most new functionality on SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
Which environment does an SAP BTP developer use, Cloud Foundry, Kyma or ABAP?
It depends on the extension. Cloud Foundry and Kyma suit Node.js, Java or Python services built with the SAP Cloud Application Programming Model, while the ABAP environment suits teams who want to stay in ABAP Cloud and reuse existing ABAP skills.
Can an SAP BTP developer also work with SAP Fiori or SAP HANA?
Often, yes, since an extension usually needs a user interface and sometimes its own data store. Where the work is mainly the front end, our SAP Fiori developer and SAP UI5 developer pages describe that in more depth.
Is there a recognised certification for this role?
SAP publishes an associate level certification for backend development on its Cloud Application Programming Model, covered further down this page, along with how to check it was genuinely earned.
Sources
- SAP Help Portal: SAP Business Technology Platform accessed 14 September 2026
- SAP Learning: SAP Certified, Backend Developer, SAP Cloud Application Programming Model accessed 14 September 2026
- SAP Learning: Digital badges, general FAQ accessed 14 September 2026
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