Saudi Arabia: background
The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu was established in 1975 to develop two coastal industrial centres, Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea.
The IS-04Z1 is a Zone 1 and Zone 21 handset for people who work inside classified areas in the Kingdom: field operators, maintenance and inspection engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. This page sets out how an Ex-proof cell phone supply route to Saudi Arabia will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. An Ex-proof cell phone for Saudi Arabia cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ex marking | Group, category, protection concept, gas group, temperature class | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 (target) |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC matched to the area drawing | IIC (target) |
| Temperature class | T-class below the ignition temperature of the gas | T4, 135 °C (target) |
| Where it applies | Saudi Arabia: Khurais, Fadhili, Abqaiq | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Saudi Arabia. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Saudi Arabia market guide covers.
The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu was established in 1975 to develop two coastal industrial centres, Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea.
Ras Tanura Port is described as the world's largest crude oil export terminal, handling about 20 percent of global oil exports and over 2,000 tankers a year.
Ras Tanura Refinery was established in 1939 and is the largest refinery in Saudi Arabia, run by Saudi Aramco.
Jubail has the world's largest independent water and power project, producing about 2,744 megawatts of electricity and 800,000 cubic metres of water daily.
“Ex-proof” is shorthand for equipment carrying an explosion-protection marking (the Ex mark) that matches the area it enters. The marking states the protection concept, gas or dust group and temperature class, and it must be backed by a certificate issued by a recognised body, so a phone described as Ex-proof should come with a certificate number you can check.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to carry the marking II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. That is a target: certification is in progress, no certificate has been issued, and SAMS will publish the certificate numbers when they exist.
In Saudi Arabia. A Saudi marking check would read II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 and then test the temperature class against the ambient range, since open plant in the Eastern Province sits above 45 °C for months. The gas group must also suit the process, while sulphur and grain handling put Zone 21 beside Zone 1 at some sites.
There is no stock to order for Saudi Arabia yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, certification is in progress, and supply will run through authorised distributors after the certificates are issued. Procurement teams can prepare now with the datasheet, the certification schedule and a safe-area evaluation.
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
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.
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.
The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. It becomes a marking only when the certificate is issued; until then it is a design target.
The market guide for Saudi Arabia covers Abqaiq, Ras Tanura, Ghawar, Shaybah, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Saudi Aramco, SABIC and other large operators set their own supplier and equipment standards within national regulation, and the Royal Commission manages Jubail and Yanbu. Ask the end user for its approved-vendor requirements before shipping any device.
Jubail and Ras Tanura on the Gulf coast, Yanbu on the Red Sea, and many Saudi Aramco fields and plants inland. Jubail and Yanbu are managed by the Royal Commission.
The 4,000 mAh battery is specified for a full shift, because recharging inside a classified area is not possible and stores can be far away. Actual runtime depends on camera, torch and GNSS use, so test it on a real round during an evaluation.
Related guides for Saudi Arabia and for Saudi Arabia.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.