EGPC: background
EGPC was established in 1956 in Cairo as the General Petroleum Authority and was renamed the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in 1962, so it is a long-standing state body.
EGPC is Egypt's national oil company, established in 1956 and headquartered in Cairo, under the Ministry of Petroleum. It covers exploration, refining and storage, and nearly all of Egypt's refining companies are its subsidiaries. If you are specifying an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for EGPC, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for EGPC: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. 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 | EGPC: Refinery process units, Crude oil production and storage, Fuel storage and loading | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Egypt. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams. The Ex certificate and an organisation's own vendor or engineering approval are two separate timelines; SAMS is working towards both and holds neither today.
EGPC was established in 1956 in Cairo as the General Petroleum Authority and was renamed the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in 1962, so it is a long-standing state body.
A 2024 programme announced solar power stations of 6.5 MW at EGPC and 10 MW at the Assiut Oil Refining Company, showing refinery and head-office sites are adding on-site generation.
In the Western Desert, operating companies such as Khalda Petroleum and Qarun Petroleum are joint ventures between EGPC and an international operator, so desert field rules often follow the joint-venture company.
EGPC's refineries page lists Alexandria Petroleum, Amreya, Suez Oil Refining, Nasr, Cairo Oil Refining (Mostorod and Tanta), Assiut, MIDOR, AMOC and ANRPC.
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 EGPC. An EGPC reviewer assessing a handset for El-Nasr, Mostorod, Amreya, Assiut, Suez or Tanta would expect a certificate of conformity, schedule of conditions and marking. ATEX and IECEx evidence helps international contractors and EPCs working on Egypt's downstream modernisation. The IS-04Z1 certification is in progress and nothing has been issued.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated 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.
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
Typical areas include refinery process units, tank farms and loading terminals on the Suez Gulf and Mediterranean coasts, oil and gas production facilities in the Western Desert and Gulf of Suez, and fuel stations. Classification is site-specific, so request area drawings from the operator.
Egyptian state-owned companies generally buy through registered-vendor lists and tenders, with technical review by the user department, and joint ventures may apply their international partner's system. There is no public approved list, so confirm the route with the relevant company's procurement office.
Check the device's stated operating temperature range, plan battery use for long shifts and keep chargers in a safe area. IP68 is designed to keep dust out but is not explosion protection. The IS-04Z1 is in certification. Confirm conditions with the refinery operator.
Other guides for EGPC, other places in Egypt, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.