Monsoon season
A monsoon, locally called khareef, runs from June to September and brings mist and rain, unlike most of Oman.
Salalah is the capital of Dhofar Governorate, with a major port and the adjacent Salalah Free Zone, a subsidiary of Asyad Group. OQ Base Industries runs Oman's integrated methanol, ammonia and LPG complex in the free zone, which is where most hazardous-area work is found. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Salalah, 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 Salalah: 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 | Salalah: Methanol and ammonia production, LPG extraction and storage, Port liquid bulk handling | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Salalah. 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.
A monsoon, locally called khareef, runs from June to September and brings mist and rain, unlike most of Oman.
The Port of Salalah is a large transshipment hub, and the free zone sits next to it.
The Port of Salalah has operated since 1998 and is the largest port in Oman, with a container terminal and a general cargo terminal serving East Africa, the Red Sea, the Indian subcontinent and the Gulf.
Salalah is the capital of Dhofar and the third-largest city in Oman, with a population of about 332,000.
APM Terminals manages the Port of Salalah, a major transshipment hub, which lies outside the city to the south and is the largest private employer in Dhofar.
Salalah's new international airport opened on 15 June 2015, and the old airport was converted into a domestic and emergency airfield, with flights linking Muscat, India and regional Arab cities.
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 Salalah. Salalah's methanol, ammonia and LPG complex and its port bring international contractors and EPCs into a free-zone setting. Reviewers there would expect ATEX and IECEx evidence together for a handheld, and a dual route lets one file serve different clients. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, as certification is in progress.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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 methanol and ammonia production, lpg extraction and storage, port liquid bulk handling. 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.
Typically in the Salalah Free Zone beside the port, which lies south of the city, where heavy industry is developing. The city itself is largely commercial and residential.
Through the Port of Salalah, managed by APM Terminals, or by air and road from Muscat. Customs clearance and free-zone rules depend on your agent.
Plant operators and the free zone set their own site rules and supplier requirements. Ask the specific operator, such as the methanol, ammonia or LPG plant, what it needs for portable devices. Confirm with the operator.
Other guides for Salalah, other places in Oman, and the pages behind them.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.