Saudi Aramco: projects and investment
In 2001 the Gas Initiative proposed three joint ventures with international oil companies for gas exploration, including South Ghawar and the northern Rub' Al-Khali, Red Sea and Shaybah areas.
Saudi Aramco · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco is the Saudi state-controlled energy company, operating onshore and offshore oil and gas fields, gas systems, refining and chemicals. Its facilities include Ghawar, Safaniya, Abqaiq, Ras Tanura, Jubail and Yanbu. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Saudi Aramco, 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
WhereSaudi Aramco
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Saudi Aramco: 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. 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 Saudi Aramco
| 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 | Saudi Aramco: Oil and gas fields, Gas processing, Refinery process units | 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 · Saudi Aramco
Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco): operations and where an Ex phone fits
A short profile of its operations and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Sites and areas
- Ghawar
- Safaniya (offshore)
- Abqaiq
- Ras Tanura
Classified areas
- Oil and gas fields
- Gas processing
- Refinery process units
- Offshore platforms
Supplier approval · Saudi Aramco
How suppliers reach Saudi Aramco
Aramco requires suppliers to register through its e-Marketplace Platform, handled by its Dhahran office for Saudi-based and many regional suppliers; registration and qualification do not guarantee business. 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 · Saudi Aramco
More about Saudi Aramco that matters for portable equipment
Saudi Aramco: industry on the ground
In 2024 Aramco's oil and gas production totalled 12.7 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, and its headquarters are in Dhahran in the Eastern Province.
Saudi Aramco: who works there
Aramco's joint ventures and affiliates include SATORP, Petro Rabigh, Yasref, SASREF and Luberef, and it holds a 70 per cent share of SABIC, so refining and chemicals sit beside upstream work.
Saudi Aramco: background
Dammam No. 7 struck oil in 1938 and became the first commercial oil well in Saudi Arabia, starting the development of the Eastern Province fields that Aramco still runs.
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 Saudi Aramco. An Aramco procurement or HSE reviewer would expect certificate evidence tied to the exact model, marking and area, since the company's facilities include fields, gas processing and refineries. International contractors working with Aramco bring ATEX or IECEx documents, so a dual route helps. The IS-04Z1 programme is in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Saudi Aramco
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 · Saudi Aramco
Frequently asked questions
Can Saudi Aramco 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 Saudi Aramco 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 Saudi Aramco approve suppliers?
Aramco requires suppliers to register through its e-Marketplace Platform, handled by its Dhahran office for Saudi-based and many regional suppliers; registration and qualification do not guarantee business.
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.
How do Aramco joint ventures such as SATORP or Petro Rabigh differ?
These ventures are run as separate companies with their own site HSE rules and supplier lists, although they often follow Aramco-derived specifications. Confirm with the specific joint venture's procurement and HSE teams, because approval at Aramco does not automatically give access to its affiliates.
Which Aramco locations typically involve Zone 1 areas?
Typically wellsites, gas-oil separation plants, gas processing plants, refineries, tank farms and loading terminals, and offshore platforms. Aramco classifies every facility under its own engineering standards, so request the hazardous-area drawing and the gas group and temperature class before choosing a phone or tablet.
Could the phone be used on offshore platforms such as Safaniya?
Only if the final certificate, gas group and temperature class suit the platform area and the operator permits it. The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsically safe handheld use with IP68 protection, but no certificate has been issued. Offshore connectivity and charging need planning too.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Saudi Aramco, and on other places in Saudi Arabia.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for Ma'adenElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for SABICElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Saudi Aramco
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Saudi Aramco, 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 · Saudi Aramco
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Saudi Aramco?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.