Free zone
Jafza, DP World's flagship free zone, grew from 19 companies in 1985 to over 11,000 today, so access and site rules vary by tenant.
Jebel Ali, south-west of Dubai, combines the DP World port, the Jebel Ali Free Zone, the DEWA power and desalination complex and the EGA aluminium smelter. The port is linked to Dubai's expressway system and to the airport cargo village, which makes a four-hour ship-to-aircraft transfer possible for urgent spares. Distribution partners for Jebel Ali are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Jebel Ali has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. 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 | Jebel Ali: Smelter power-station fuel areas, Chemical and fuel warehousing, Gas-fired power station fuel systems | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Jebel Ali. 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.
Jafza, DP World's flagship free zone, grew from 19 companies in 1985 to over 11,000 today, so access and site rules vary by tenant.
Hot, humid coastal conditions; outdoor equipment should be rated for heat and salt air.
With 67 berths, the harbour is described as the world's largest man-made harbour and the biggest port in the Middle East, so jetty and quay areas are extensive.
Jebel Ali Port opened in 1979, inaugurated on 26 February that year to supplement Port Rashid, so much of the district's infrastructure dates from the last 45 years.
The port handled about 13.7 million TEU in 2021, so container, truck and crane traffic is dense and site rules on vehicles and equipment are strict.
The port lies about 35 km south-west of Dubai, so teams based in the city face a long road transfer along the coast.
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 Jebel Ali. Jebel Ali combines a port, a free zone, the DEWA power and desalination complex and the EGA smelter, so a reviewer would expect certificate numbers, markings and schedules of conditions for devices in gas-fired power and fuel areas. Dual ATEX and IECEx evidence also helps international tenants. The IS-04Z1 certificates are in progress.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Jebel Ali. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
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 gas-fired power station fuel systems, desalination and power plant gas supply, smelter power-station fuel areas, chemical and fuel warehousing. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Jebel Ali.
Yes, a refinery adds process units, storage and loading areas, usually with gas classification. ENOC Processing Company runs it, so its own safety and approval rules apply. Contractors should request area classification drawings and the company's equipment requirements before bringing devices in.
The port is about 35 km south-west of Dubai, linked by expressway. Service teams based in the city should allow transfer time and check gate and security procedures, as the port and free zone are controlled areas with their own access passes.
Yes. JAFZA hosts over 8,700 companies, so access and rules vary by tenant, and port, utility and tenant operators set their own approval rules. Ask the operator of the specific site what a phone needs before entering a classified area.
More on Jebel Ali, and on other places in United Arab Emirates.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.