Hot, arid climate
Summer temperatures reach about 45 C with little rainfall, so outdoor handsets face heat, dust and salt air.
Manama · ATEX and IECEx
ATEX and IECEx Smartphone Distributor in Manama
Manama is the capital of Bahrain, on the north-east coast of Bahrain Island, with Mina Salman as the country's main commercial port. The port has an 800 metre finger pier with 10 berths, three 200 metre conventional berths and two 300 metre container berths, 11 metres deep. Distribution partners for Manama are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
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
DeviceSmartphone
RouteDistribution
WhereManama
Short answer. Manama 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.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. 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 smartphone for Manama
| 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 | Manama: Gas processing and LPG handling, LNG import and regasification (Hidd), Ship repair yards | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Manama
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 Manama. 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 · Manama
Working in Manama: operators and classified areas
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
Operators and companies on site
- Tatweer Petroleum
- Bahrain LNG (Hidd)
- Bahrain Ship Repairing and Engineering Company (Mina Salman)
- Bapco Energies
Classified areas to expect
- Gas processing and LPG handling
- LNG import and regasification (Hidd)
- Ship repair yards
- Refinery process units (Sitra)
Local conditions · Manama
What Manama means for portable equipment
City versus plant
Manama itself is mainly a financial and commercial city; classified areas are at Sitra, Mina Salman and Hidd rather than in the city centre.
Field notes · Manama
More about Manama that matters for portable equipment
Manama: rules and approvals
Telecommunications equipment sold in Bahrain needs Telecommunications Regulatory Authority type approval, with certificates valid for three years.
Manama: logistics and access
Mina Salman port, inside Manama, covers 80 hectares, has been the primary cargo port and customs point since 1962, and handles over 75 percent of its cargo in containers.
Manama: geography and layout
Manama sits on the north-eastern coast of Bahrain Island on low-lying terrain, with reclaimed land extending the coastline in recent decades.
Manama: who works there
Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard, founded in 1977 by OAPEC member states, is based at Al Hidd in Bahrain and offers repair, hydro blasting, painting and conversion work.
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 Manama. A procurement or HSE reviewer around Manama would normally ask for certificate evidence before a handset enters Mina Salman, Sitra or Hidd. A dual ATEX and IECEx route is designed to help visiting contractors and ship-repair crews who carry paperwork between jurisdictions. No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet; certification is in progress.
The route · distribution
Distributing the IS-04Z1 in Manama
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Manama. 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.
What SAMS looks for in a partner
- Operator relationships
- Existing supplier registrations or a clear route to them with the main operators and contractors in Manama.
- Ex-competent staff
- People who understand zone classification, markings and the conditions of a certificate.
And equally important
- Local-language support
- Documentation, training and helpdesk in the languages the workforce uses.
- Service capability
- Spares, battery replacement and repair routed through SAMS-approved channels.
Questions · Manama
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an ATEX and IECEx smartphone in Manama today?
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.
What does an ATEX and IECEx smartphone in Manama 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 Manama would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units (sitra), port fuel and cargo handling (mina salman), gas processing and lpg handling, lng import and regasification (hidd). Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
How do I become a SAMS distributor for Manama?
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 Manama.
How do I source phones and radios compliant with Bahrain telecom rules?
Equipment needs TRA type approval, normally applied for by a Bahraini supplier, with a certificate valid for three years. Ask your distributor to confirm the approval number for the exact model.
Is central Manama a hazardous-area site?
Mostly no. The city centre is commercial, and the classified areas are at the port, fuel handling sites, ship repair yards and the refinery on Sitra. Ask the site operator which areas apply.
Do I need Ex handsets in Manama city centre?
Usually not, because Manama is mainly a financial and commercial city and classified areas lie at Sitra, Mina Salman and Hidd. Whether a particular building, fuel point or yard is classified is decided by its operator, so confirm with the site operator before assuming either way.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for Manama, other places in Bahrain, and the pages behind them.
Rugged Mobile Phone in ManamaSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in ManamaSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in ManamaSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in ManamaSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in ManamaSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in ManamaSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in SitraElsewhere in Bahrain
Bahrain market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for BahrainEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Manama
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Manama, 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 · Manama
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Manama?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.