Ports and free zones
Hamriyah Free Zone, established in 1995, has a 14 m deep port, and Sharjah is the only emirate with ports on both the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman coasts. Classified areas are spread across many small tenants.
Sharjah's hydrocarbon work is run by Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC), whose midstream operations include the Sajaa gas processing plant, export and import terminals and a pipeline network. The emirate has three major seaports, Port Khalid, Hamriyah Port and Khorfakkan Port, the last on the Gulf of Oman coast. Distribution partners for Sharjah are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Sharjah 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. 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 | Sharjah: Marine terminals, Port fuel handling, Gas processing plant | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Sharjah. 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.
Hamriyah Free Zone, established in 1995, has a 14 m deep port, and Sharjah is the only emirate with ports on both the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman coasts. Classified areas are spread across many small tenants.
Hot, humid climate with high summer temperatures.
The Saja'a Industrial Investment Park covers 750,000 square metres as a bonded logistics area linked by a road to Emirates Road and the three seaports.
Gulftainer manages Sharjah Container Terminal, Khorfakkan Commercial Terminal and the Sharjah and Sajaa dry ports, so port and yard rules vary by terminal.
UAE handsets need federal type approval, which accepts European documents; certificates are renewed every three years and the new type approval mark applies from 2023.
The city is a centre for industry and contributes about 7.4 per cent of the UAE's GDP, so industrial sites are numerous and varied.
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 Sharjah. Sharjah's hydrocarbon work is run by SNOC, with free-zone tenants at Hamriyah and SAIF Zone, so a reviewer would expect certificate numbers, markings and schedules of conditions for devices at the Sajaa gas plant. Dual ATEX and IECEx evidence also helps international tenants. The IS-04Z1 certificates are in progress.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Sharjah yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
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 gas processing plant, gas and condensate pipelines and storage, marine terminals, port fuel handling. 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 Sharjah.
Port Khalid and Hamriyah Port on the Gulf and Khorfakkan Port on the Gulf of Oman coast. Gulftainer runs several container and dry-port facilities, so choose the port by cargo type and destination, and confirm customs and import-permit needs with your freight forwarder.
No. Type approval is federal, issued by the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, so one certificate covers the UAE. Certificates are typically renewed every three years. Individual sites may add their own device rules for hazardous areas; confirm them with the operator.
Sharjah has a hot, humid climate with high summer temperatures. The IS-04Z1 has a 4,000 mAh battery and IP68 rating, but no heat limits are published here. Ask for the datasheet, and confirm with the operator whether outdoor rounds in summer are planned.
Related guides for Sharjah and for United Arab Emirates.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.