Climate
Desert marine climate; Zirku Island summer temperatures are typically 35 to 45 degrees C with high humidity.
The UAE's main offshore oil and gas fields lie in the Arabian Gulf off Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi's first offshore drilling platform was established at Umm Shaif in 1958, and the first crude export left Das Island in 1962. Distribution partners for UAE offshore fields are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. UAE offshore fields 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 | UAE offshore fields: Platform and subsea pipelines, Marine loading terminals, Offshore production platforms and islands | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in UAE Offshore. 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.
Desert marine climate; Zirku Island summer temperatures are typically 35 to 45 degrees C with high humidity.
ADNOC owns Upper Zakum, with ExxonMobil holding 28 per cent and JODCO 12 per cent.
ADNOC Drilling has been contracted to supply island rigs for wells on existing and new artificial islands at Zakum, with delivery expected from 2026.
Replacement of a 125 km oil pipeline from Umm Lulu to Zirku Island has been awarded as an offshore project, so subsea and island pipeline work is under way.
Zakum's artificial islands suit extended-reach drilling, and the five longest wells in the world are reported to have been drilled there.
Upper Zakum lies about 84 km north-west of the Abu Dhabi islands, so it is a boat or helicopter journey from the mainland.
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 UAE offshore fields. Offshore operators such as ADNOC Offshore and international partners in Upper Zakum would expect certificate numbers, markings and schedules of conditions for devices on platforms and islands. A dual ATEX and IECEx route also helps contractors who rotate between UAE offshore fields and projects abroad. The IS-04Z1 certificates are in progress.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for UAE offshore fields. 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.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
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 offshore production platforms and islands, island processing and terminals, platform and subsea pipelines, marine loading terminals. 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 UAE offshore fields.
Upper Zakum is about 84 km north-west of the Abu Dhabi islands, and operations are based on islands such as Zirku and Das. Access is by boat or helicopter under the operator's control, so plan transit time and baggage limits for equipment.
Often the same standards apply, but offshore and island sites usually add stricter controls on ignition sources, wireless devices and marine transport. Approval is decided by the operator, so ask for its current equipment, certification and wireless policy before shipping devices.
Offshore crews rotate and sites are reached by sea and air under operator control. A phone would normally be enrolled in the employer's or operator's EMM or MDM. The IS-04Z1 is designed for EMM/MDM. Ask the operator how devices are issued, charged and handed over.
Related guides for UAE Offshore and for United Arab Emirates.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.