Scale
The plants have about 18 crude stabilisation units and stabilise roughly half of Saudi Arabia's daily oil production, according to Aramco.
Abqaiq · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in Abqaiq
Abqaiq is a town in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, about 60 km south-west of the Dhahran-Dammam-Khobar area. It hosts Aramco's Abqaiq Plants, described by Aramco as the world's largest crude stabilisation plant, which removes hydrogen sulphide from crude, creating Zone 1 areas. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Abqaiq, 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
WhereAbqaiq
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Abqaiq: 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 Abqaiq
| 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 | Abqaiq: Crude stabilisation units, Natural gas liquids facility, Utilities units | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Abqaiq
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 Abqaiq. 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 site · Abqaiq
Abqaiq: where the IS-04Z1 would work
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
Operators and companies on site
- Saudi Aramco
Classified areas to expect
- Crude stabilisation units
- Natural gas liquids facility
- Utilities units
- Hydrogen sulphide removal
Local conditions · Abqaiq
Site conditions at Abqaiq: what wears and what limits equipment
Climate
Desert conditions on the edge of the Empty Quarter, with high summer temperatures and dust.
Field notes · Abqaiq
More about Abqaiq that matters for portable equipment
Abqaiq: logistics and access
Abqaiq has a station on the Dammam to Riyadh railway line, and a small Aramco-operated airstrip that is closed to commercial flights.
Abqaiq: people and language
Abqaiq had about 45,000 residents in the 2022 census, of whom roughly 1,500 lived in the Aramco residential community in 2012, so most of the workforce commutes from the wider town.
Abqaiq: rules and approvals
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission issues radio type-approval certificates that are renewed every two years and accepts European test documents, with an e-label option.
Abqaiq: infrastructure
The 1,202 km Petroline crude pipeline, completed in the early 1980s, takes oil from the Abqaiq and Ghawar fields overland to Yanbu on the Red Sea.
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 Abqaiq. At Abqaiq, Aramco reviewers dealing with hydrogen sulphide removal and crude stabilisation would want certificate evidence that traces cleanly to the equipment marking. A dual ATEX and IECEx route can help international contractors who work to both. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet; certification is in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Abqaiq
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 · Abqaiq
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone in Abqaiq 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 in Abqaiq 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.
Which areas at Abqaiq would use it?
Likely candidates are crude stabilisation units, natural gas liquids facility, utilities units, hydrogen sulphide removal. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
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 Abqaiq contractors mostly live on site?
Not mostly. The Aramco community numbered about 1,500 people in 2012, while the town had about 45,000 residents in 2022. Many contractors therefore travel in daily or are housed in the wider Eastern Province, so transport, gate and induction timing matter.
Why do Abqaiq rounds involve long distances between units?
The processing complex covers about 250 hectares, and related gathering, pipeline and utility areas lie beyond it. Plan battery capacity for a full shift, and check whether the site provides charging points in safe areas rather than in classified zones.
How would a supplier register to sell to Abqaiq?
Aramco and its contractors normally run supplier registration through Aramco's e-Marketplace Platform, with technical and financial qualification. Requirements change, so confirm current rules with the site operator or the contractor. Registration is a commercial step and is separate from explosion-protection certification of the device.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Abqaiq and for Saudi Arabia.
Rugged Mobile Phone in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in RiyadhElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in DhahranElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Abqaiq
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia
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 · Abqaiq
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Abqaiq?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.