Refinery modernisation
The modernised refinery is ramping up towards about 405,000 barrels a day, and contractors were still completing final units into late 2025 and early 2026.
Sitra · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in Sitra
Sitra is an island on the east side of Bahrain Island whose northern part is an industrial area. It hosts the Bapco Sitra refinery, whose $7 billion modernisation was inaugurated in December 2024, and the GARMCO aluminium rolling mill, so refinery and heavy-industry hazardous areas are present. This page explains what to look for in an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Sitra, Bahrain, 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
WhereSitra
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Sitra, Bahrain: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · ATEX and IECEx
Checklist: ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Sitra, Bahrain
| 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 | Sitra, Bahrain: Refinery process units, Crude and product storage, Hydrogen and hydrocracking units | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Sitra
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 Sitra. 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 · Sitra, Bahrain
Sitra, Bahrain at a glance: who is there, what is classified
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Operators and companies on site
- Bapco Energies (Sitra refinery)
- Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill Company (GARMCO)
Classified areas to expect
- Refinery process units
- Crude and product storage
- Hydrogen and hydrocracking units
- Sulphur recovery units
Local conditions · Sitra, Bahrain
Conditions in Sitra, Bahrain that affect handheld equipment
Industrial concentration
The northern part of the island is an industrial area, with oil storage in the south and a gas pipeline link to Saudi Arabia.
Field notes · Sitra, Bahrain
More about Sitra, Bahrain that matters for portable equipment
Sitra, Bahrain: geography and layout
East Sitra City, a reclamation project off the eastern coast, increased the island's size by about 50 percent and hosts new residential development.
Sitra, Bahrain: projects and investment
Construction work on an upgrade of Bapco's Sitra refinery started in March 2019, including a new resid hydrocracking unit planned to be operational by 2023.
Sitra, Bahrain: logistics and access
Sitra handles Bahrain's whole petroleum output and hosts the Port of Sitra.
Sitra, Bahrain: background
The first oil infrastructure on Sitra was built in 1934 by Bapco, including a draw bridge connecting the island to Bahrain Island.
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 Sitra, Bahrain. Contractors completing final units at the modernised Bapco Sitra refinery are likely to meet reviewers who ask for certificate evidence per handset, covering both the equipment and its stated limits. A dual ATEX and IECEx route is designed to ease that for international EPCs. For the IS-04Z1 no certificate exists yet; this is work in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone for Sitra
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 · Sitra
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone in Sitra today?
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.
What does an ATEX and IECEx mobile phone in Sitra cost?
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.
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 Sitra, Bahrain would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units, crude and product storage, hydrogen and hydrocracking units, sulphur recovery units. 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.
Is the refinery still being modernised?
Construction of a refinery upgrade began in March 2019 and included a new resid hydrocracking unit planned for operation by 2023. Confirm the current project and commissioning status with Bapco.
Which hazardous areas are on Sitra?
Mainly the Bapco refinery and storage reservoirs, with process units, tank farms and loading facilities, plus the port. The extrusion and other light industry may have limited zones. Ask each operator for its classification drawing.
Does hydrogen service change what I should look for?
It can, because hydrogen units sit in the most demanding gas group, so the marking must cover that group. Sitra has hydrogen and hydrocracking units. Ask the operator for the classification of each unit and compare it with the device label rather than assuming one marking fits the whole refinery.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Sitra, and on other places in Bahrain.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in SitraSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone in SitraSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in SitraSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in SitraSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in SitraSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in SitraSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in ManamaElsewhere in Bahrain
Bahrain market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for BahrainEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Sitra, Bahrain
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Sitra, Bahrain, Bahrain
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 · Sitra, Bahrain
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Sitra?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.