Ma'aden: projects and investment
Saudi Arabia estimates its mineral endowment at about 1.3 trillion US dollars, and Ma'aden is positioned as the national vehicle for exploring and developing it under Vision 2030.
Ma'aden · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for Ma'aden
Ma'aden is a Saudi state-owned mining company headquartered in Riyadh, with the Public Investment Fund as majority shareholder. Its aluminium business mines bauxite at Al Ba'itha and smelts and rolls aluminium at Ras Al Khair, producing over 1 million tonnes a year; it also produces phosphate fertiliser, gold and base metals. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Ma'aden, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topicATEX and IECEx
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereMa'aden
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Ma'aden: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · ATEX and IECEx
Checklist: ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Ma'aden
| 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 | Ma'aden: Ammonia and phosphate fertiliser plants, Acid plants, Alumina refinery and aluminium smelter | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Saudi Arabia
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Saudi Arabia. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The organisation · Ma'aden
Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Ras Al-Khair
- Wa'ad Al Shamal
- Ba'itha bauxite mine
Classified areas
- Ammonia and phosphate fertiliser plants
- Acid plants
- Alumina refinery and aluminium smelter
- Mining and processing sites
Supplier approval · Ma'aden
Supplier registration at Ma'aden
Ma'aden runs its own supplier portal (maaden.com/supplier-portal) where new suppliers create a supplier profile, and contractor manpower is managed through a separate Fieldglass link. 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.
Field notes · Ma'aden
More about Ma'aden that matters for portable equipment
Ma'aden: background
Ma'aden grew from a single-mine gold producer established in 1997 into a diversified mining and processing group listed on Tadawul, with the Public Investment Fund as its main shareholder.
Ma'aden: industry on the ground
The Wa'ad Al-Shamal phosphate complex in northern Saudi Arabia covers mining, beneficiation, ammonia and phosphoric acid production, and finished diammonium phosphate fertiliser for export.
Ma'aden: industry on the ground
The aluminium chain runs from bauxite mining at Al-Ba'itha through the alumina refinery to the smelter and casthouse at Ras Al-Khair, using the Ma'aden Bauxite and Alumina and Ma'aden Aluminium companies.
The term · ATEX and IECEx
What “ATEX and IECEx” means for a smartphone
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 Ma'aden. A Ma'aden reviewer would expect certificate evidence matched to the exact equipment and to the specific zone, particularly for ammonia plants, acid plants and fuel and gas handling. International contractors on the Ras Al-Khair and Wa'ad Al Shamal projects may carry ATEX or IECEx paperwork, so a dual route helps. The IS-04Z1 programme is in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Ma'aden
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · Ma'aden
Frequently asked questions
Can Ma'aden buy the IS-04Z1 today?
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
What does an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Ma'aden cost?
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.
Is the IS-04Z1 ATEX and IECEx certified?
Not yet. Both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and no certificate has been issued. Any listing that says otherwise is wrong.
How does Ma'aden approve suppliers?
Ma'aden runs its own supplier portal (maaden.com/supplier-portal) where new suppliers create a supplier profile, and contractor manpower is managed through a separate Fieldglass link. Confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
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.
What hazardous areas does a Ma'aden site usually contain?
Fertiliser and aluminium complexes typically include ammonia and acid plants, fuel and gas handling, coal or fuel-fired power units, and fine process dust areas, while mines add diesel storage and blasting-related zones. Ma'aden classifies each facility, so request the area drawing, gas or dust group and temperature class.
Who sets equipment rules at Ma'aden sites?
Ma'aden and its operating subsidiaries set site HSE and electrical rules, and projects are often run through contractors who apply them. Confirm with the relevant Ma'aden business unit's procurement and HSE teams which certificates, supplier registration and permits are needed before you ship equipment.
Are all Ma'aden sites classified hazardous areas?
No. Hazardous classification is limited to the parts of a site where flammable gas, vapour or dust can be present, such as ammonia, acid and fuel and gas handling areas. Ma'aden's engineers decide which areas are classified, so confirm with the site operator. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Ma'aden, and on other places in Saudi Arabia.
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for Ma'adenSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for Ma'adenSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for Ma'adenSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for Ma'adenSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for SABICElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for Saudi AramcoElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Ma'aden
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Ma'aden, Saudi Arabia
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · Ma'aden
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Ma'aden?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.