Hot coastal climate
Summers are hot and humid along the coast, which affects outdoor equipment and battery life.
Muscat is Oman's capital. The Mina Al Fahal area on its coast hosts an oil refinery and the base of Petroleum Development Oman, and Al Rusayl Industrial City lies outside the city. These are the main classified-area sites. Distribution partners for Muscat are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Muscat 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Muscat: Refinery process units, Crude export and fuel storage, Industrial city factories using solvents or gases | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Muscat. 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.
Summers are hot and humid along the coast, which affects outdoor equipment and battery life.
Al Rusayl Industrial City dates from 1983 and preceded the creation of Madayn in 1993, the body that now manages Oman's industrial cities.
Tropical cyclones Gonu in 2007 and Phet in 2010 brought strong winds and heavy rain to Muscat in June, so tropical storms are a planning consideration.
Sultan Qaboos Street is the main artery running west to east, with roads to Nizwa and Al Amrat connecting through Rusail and Ruwi.
Mina Al Fahal is one of Muscat's coastal districts, alongside Darsait, Ras Al Hamar, Al Qurum Heights, Al Khuwair and Al Seeb.
The Central Hajar Mountains run along the northern coastline, and the deep coast forms two natural harbours at Muttrah and Muscat.
“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 Muscat. For a refinery unit, crude and fuel storage or a factory using solvents or gases, a marking check reads zone, gas group and temperature class on the label and compares each with the operator's classification. Solvents and fuels span several gas groups, so the target marking II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 is compared with site records.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Muscat. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, crude export and fuel storage, industrial city factories using solvents or gases. 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 Muscat.
Petroleum Development Oman, owned 60 percent by the government with Shell, TotalEnergies and Partex as shareholders. It has its own contractor registration and HSE approval.
Mainly at Mina Al Fahal on the coast, at the refinery and oil company base, and at Al Rusayl Industrial City outside the city. The rest of the city is mostly commercial or residential.
Madayn manages Al Rusayl Industrial City, but each occupier classifies its own areas and sets its own rules. Ask the specific factory or operator what it requires for portable devices. Confirm details with the site operator.
More on Muscat, and on other places in Oman.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.