Climate
Hot desert climate, though about 3 C cooler on average than Riyadh because of the altitude.
Najran is a fast-growing city in south-west Saudi Arabia, near the Yemen border, at about 1,300 m elevation. Factories in the region cover food processing, chemicals, plastics, paper and non-metallic minerals, so hazards range from solvents to combustible dusts. An ATEX and IECEx mobile phone distributor in Najran would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Najran has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Marking | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 on the rating plate | Design target; not yet marked |
| EU-type examination certificate | Notified body number and certificate ID | In progress with TÜV; not issued |
| IECEx certificate of conformity | Number listed on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Najran: Chemical and plastics manufacturing, Mining and quarrying operations, Stone and industrial dust areas (Zone 21) | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Najran. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Hot desert climate, though about 3 C cooler on average than Riyadh because of the altitude.
Najran Industrial City covers 6.5 million square metres, about 45 km north-east of Najran city.
About 3.6 million of the industrial city's 6.5 million square metres were reported as fully developed, so new plants are still being added alongside existing ones.
Najran Regional Airport, owned by the General Authority of Civil Aviation, opened in 1973 and serves the whole province at about 1,214 m elevation.
Najran Valley Dam, completed in 1981 about 15 km south-west of the city, provides water supply, flood control and groundwater recharge.
Najran city had 381,431 residents in the 2022 census and the wider governorate 592,300, so it is a sizeable regional centre for labour and services.
ATEX is the European legal framework for equipment used in explosive atmospheres (Directive 2014/34/EU). IECEx is the international certification scheme built on the IEC 60079 standards. Buyers outside Europe often ask for both: an IECEx certificate is the technical evidence most national regimes build on, while ATEX is the legal route into the European market.
For the IS-04Z1 both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and neither certificate has been issued. The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: equipment Group II (surface industry), Category 2 (Zone 1 gas), protection concept ib (intrinsic safety), gas group IIC and temperature class T4.
In Najran. Najran has few named operators, so a reviewer is more likely to be a factory or mine safety officer, or a contractor, than a large operator's central team. They would expect certificate evidence for ATEX and IECEx that traces to the marking. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet; certification is in progress.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Najran. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
Not yet. Both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and no certificate has been issued. Any listing that says otherwise is wrong.
Likely candidates are chemical and plastics manufacturing, mining and quarrying operations, stone and industrial dust areas (zone 21). Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Najran.
Marble, granite and ore processing generate heavy dust, which affects equipment sealing and filters, and may be classified or not depending on the material. Paper, plastics and food plants can produce combustible dust. Ask each operator for its dust hazard assessment.
Najran Regional Airport serves the province, and the industrial city lies about 45 km north-east of the town, so visits usually include a road leg. Many teams also drive from other Saudi cities; check the client's travel and site-access rules.
Smaller than in the Eastern Province. Najran Industrial City, about 45 km north-east, and the region's mining sites create some classified areas, but there are no verified large operators. Many factories may not need Ex-rated handsets at all, so check the area classification first.
Other guides for Najran, other places in Saudi Arabia, and the pages behind them.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.