Wider complex
The governorate also has the Ju'aymah gas plant and the Ghazlan power plant serving Eastern Province industry.
Ras Tanura is a peninsula governorate in the Eastern Province hosting Aramco's Ras Tanura Refinery, with a crude distillation capacity of 550,000 barrels a day, and one of the world's largest crude export terminals. The governorate's industrial infrastructure is centrally managed and operated by Saudi Aramco, so a single operator's rules cover refinery, terminal and gas plant work. An ATEX and IECEx mobile phone distributor in Ras Tanura would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Ras Tanura 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.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. 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 | Ras Tanura: Storage tank farms, Natural gas liquids fractionation (Ju'aymah), Refinery process units | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Ras Tanura. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
The governorate also has the Ju'aymah gas plant and the Ghazlan power plant serving Eastern Province industry.
Aramco facilities are controlled-access sites; Dammam airport serves commercial travel.
Ras Tanura is a peninsula governorate bordered by Jubail to the north and Qatif to the west and south, so road access runs through neighbouring governorates.
A two-lane highway joins Ras Tanura to the Dhahran to Jubail Highway, and the Ras Tanura to Safwa Bridge links it with Safwa city in Qatif Governorate.
Commercial flights use King Fahd International Airport in Dammam; Ras Tanura's own airport is private and run by Aramco for its employees.
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission handles radio type approval; certificates are renewed every two years, with European test documents accepted.
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 Ras Tanura. Ras Tanura reviewers from Aramco would expect certificate evidence that suits the refinery, terminal and fractionation areas. A dual ATEX and IECEx route helps international contractors and marine specialists who work across terminals in several countries. 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 Ras Tanura. 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 refinery process units, crude export terminal piers and sea islands, storage tank farms, natural gas liquids fractionation (ju'aymah). 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 Ras Tanura.
The area was officially named Rahima from 1941 until 1986, when Ras Tanura was restored. Drawings, maps or inspection records may therefore use either name, so make sure the area names in any asset register or work permit are matched before ordering equipment.
Visitors normally fly to King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and drive; Ras Tanura's own airport is private and operated by Aramco for its employees. A two-lane highway connects to the Dhahran to Jubail Highway. Site access is arranged through the host.
It can be. The peninsula is on the Gulf, so salt, humidity and heat apply on top of desert dust. IP68 sealing helps, but check the datasheet for the temperature range and for any limits on cleaning or exposure. Ask the operator about its own environmental requirements.
Other guides for Ras Tanura, other places in Saudi Arabia, and the pages behind them.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.