SABIC: industry on the ground
SABIC's production grew from 6.5 million tonnes in 1985 to more than 60 million tonnes by 2012, with ethylene and its derivatives among the key products.
SABIC is a Saudi chemicals company headquartered in Riyadh, 70% owned by Saudi Aramco with the rest publicly traded. It makes chemicals, industrial polymers and fertilisers, with major industrial operations in Jubail Industrial City on the Gulf and in Yanbu on the Red Sea. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for SABIC, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for SABIC: 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. 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 | SABIC: Petrochemical plants, Polymer plants, Fertiliser units | Classified by the site operator |

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.
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
SABIC runs a Supplier Portal (supplier.sabic.com): applicants use the Supplier Registration link and complete a short form, after which SABIC's supplier relationship team sends instructions for the full registration. 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.
SABIC's production grew from 6.5 million tonnes in 1985 to more than 60 million tonnes by 2012, with ethylene and its derivatives among the key products.
SABIC employs more than 40,000 people globally, and its Saudi manufacturing is concentrated in a few industrial cities, mainly Jubail, rather than spread across the Kingdom.
Saudi Aramco agreed to buy a 70 per cent stake in SABIC from the Public Investment Fund in 2019 and the transaction completed in June 2020, linking SABIC closely to Aramco feedstock.
Jubail is on the Gulf coast and Yanbu on the Red Sea, on opposite sides of the Kingdom, so equipment planning, logistics and climate differ between the two sites.
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 SABIC. A SABIC procurement or HSE reviewer at Jubail or Yanbu would expect certificate evidence tied to the exact equipment and protection concept. Petrochemical plants are often built by international EPCs that carry ATEX or IECEx documents, so a dual route helps compare them. The IS-04Z1 programme is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
SABIC runs a Supplier Portal (supplier.sabic.com): applicants use the Supplier Registration link and complete a short form, after which SABIC's supplier relationship team sends instructions for the full registration. 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.
Aramco holds 70 per cent of SABIC, but SABIC remains a separate company with its own affiliates and procurement. Aramco-style standards may be referenced on some projects, yet requirements vary, so ask the relevant SABIC affiliate or project owner which specifications and approved equipment lists apply.
Jubail on the Gulf coast typically has very hot, humid summers with salt-laden air, while Yanbu on the Red Sea has a hot coastal climate with dust and wind. Check enclosure ingress rating, corrosion resistance and operating temperature range, and confirm any site conditions with the affiliate.
The sheet states that supplier registration and equipment approval are run by SABIC itself. Requirements may differ between Jubail and Yanbu and across business units, so confirm with SABIC's procurement and HSE teams. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch with certification in progress and no certificate has been issued.
More on SABIC, and on other places in Saudi Arabia.
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.