Industry
The Najran region has 90 factories, 29 of them inside Najran Industrial City, and 27 mining complexes covering more than 5,400 square kilometres, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Najran is a fast-growing city in south-west Saudi Arabia, near the Yemen border, at about 1,300 m elevation. Najran Industrial City, developed by MODON about 45 km north-east, and the region's mining complexes create some classified areas, though demand is smaller than in the Eastern Province. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Najran, 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 Najran: 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.
| 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 | Najran: Chemical and plastics manufacturing, Mining and quarrying operations, Stone and industrial dust areas (Zone 21) | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Najran. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
The Najran region has 90 factories, 29 of them inside Najran Industrial City, and 27 mining complexes covering more than 5,400 square kilometres, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Hot desert climate, though about 3 C cooler on average than Riyadh because of the altitude.
Copper and zinc reserve zones covering another 70 square km are identified near Najran, pointing to possible future mining and processing work.
Factories in the region cover food processing, chemicals, plastics, paper and non-metallic minerals, so hazards range from solvents to combustible dusts.
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission issues radio type approval, renewed every two years, and accepts European test documents for handsets.
The city lies in the fertile Wadi Najran, a valley that has long been a crossroads of caravan routes, so industrial work sits close to farmland and water sources.
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 Najran. Najran has few named operators, so a reviewer is more likely to be a factory or mine safety officer, or a contractor, than a large operator's central team. They would expect certificate evidence for ATEX and IECEx that traces to the marking. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet; certification is in progress.
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.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
Not yet. Both routes are in progress with TÜV in Germany and no certificate has been issued. Any listing that says otherwise is wrong.
Likely candidates are chemical and plastics manufacturing, mining and quarrying operations, stone and industrial dust areas (zone 21). Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
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.
Smaller than in the Eastern Province. The area has factories making chemicals, plastics, paper and food products, plus quarrying and mining, so classified areas exist but are mainly in individual plants. Each factory or mine sets its own approval rules.
The city is about 1,200 to 1,300 m above sea level and is a little cooler than Riyadh, but still hot desert. Handsets still need heat tolerance, and long supply lines mean spare batteries and chargers should be carried.
The target marking, II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, refers to gas atmospheres. Dust areas such as Zone 21 call for dust-related protection, which is a different marking. Certification is still in progress, so do not assume dust suitability. Ask the supplier directly and confirm with the factory's safety officer.
More on Najran, and on other places in 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.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.