PIC: projects and investment
In 2026 PIC acquired a 25 per cent stake in Wanhua Petrochemical Group's assets in Yantai, China, creating Wanhua-PIC Petrochemicals, so it now has overseas sites as well as its Kuwait ones.
PIC · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for PIC
Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary producing polymers, aromatics and fertilisers, with more than 60 years of experience and seven joint ventures according to its website. Its first fertiliser complex began operating in the Shuaiba Industrial Zone in 1967. If you are specifying an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for PIC, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
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
WherePIC
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for PIC: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. 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 PIC
| 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 | PIC: Petrochemical process units, Polymer and aromatics plants, Fertiliser plants | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Kuwait
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 Kuwait. 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 · PIC
Petrochemical Industries Company and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Shuaiba Industrial Zone (Al Ahmadi Governorate)
- Equate petrochemical complex, Shuaiba (joint venture)
Classified areas
- Petrochemical process units
- Polymer and aromatics plants
- Fertiliser plants
Supplier approval · PIC
Becoming an approved supplier to PIC
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.
Field notes · PIC
More about PIC that matters for portable equipment
PIC: rules and approvals
PIC is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary, and supplier guides note that KPC companies keep separate vendor databases, so registration with PIC is handled by PIC rather than by a group-wide list.
PIC: background
Kuwait's first chemical fertiliser complex began operating in the Shuaiba Industrial Zone in 1967, and manufacturing capacity there was expanded through the 1970s with a further fertiliser plant.
PIC: projects and investment
The Kuwait Olefins Company was formed in 2008 between PIC and Dow with equal 42.5 per cent shares, adding an olefins and derivatives train to the Shuaiba industrial area.
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 PIC. A Petrochemical Industries Company reviewer would expect certificate evidence before a handheld enters polymer, aromatics or fertiliser plants. With joint ventures and international contractors involved, a dual ATEX and IECEx route lets one product answer both families of paperwork. The IS-04Z1 is in certification and no certificate has been issued.
The route · specification
Specifying an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for PIC
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 · PIC
Frequently asked questions
Can PIC buy the IS-04Z1 today?
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.
What does an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for PIC cost?
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.
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 PIC approve suppliers?
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; 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.
Do PIC joint ventures register suppliers separately?
Often yes. EQUATE and the other joint ventures run their own plants and procurement, while PIC itself is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary with its own vendor process. Check with each company's procurement team, as registration with one organisation does not normally entitle you to bid with the others.
What hazardous-area conditions do petrochemical units at Shuaiba usually involve?
Aromatics, olefins and styrene units handle flammable liquids and gases, so Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas with gas groups IIA to IIB, and in some cases IIC, are typical. Dusty polymer and fertiliser handling can add Zone 21 or 22 areas. Always request the classification drawing for the specific unit.
Are fertiliser plants treated like petrochemical plants for hazardous areas?
Not necessarily. Fertiliser plants can have different gases and dusts from polymer or aromatics units, and the operator's classification decides. The IS-04Z1 targets gas atmospheres only. Ask PIC's HSE team for the area drawings and the substances involved before judging any device.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for PIC, other places in Kuwait, and the pages behind them.
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for PICSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PICSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for EQUATEElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KNPCElsewhere in Kuwait
Kuwait market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for KuwaitEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · PIC
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for PIC, Kuwait
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · PIC
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for PIC?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.