Crude export hub
Crude oil and refinery products are loaded onto tankers off Mina Al Fahal by subsea pipeline and single buoy moorings.
Petroleum Development Oman, the leading exploration and production company, is owned 60 percent by the government and found its first economic oil in 1962. These are the main classified-area sites. This page explains what to look for in an Ex-proof mobile phone for Muscat, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Muscat: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Crude oil and refinery products are loaded onto tankers off Mina Al Fahal by subsea pipeline and single buoy moorings.
Summers are hot and humid along the coast, which affects outdoor equipment and battery life.
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.
The city has a hot arid climate with about 10 centimetres of rain a year, falling mostly from December to April.
“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.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
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.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
Muscat is hot and arid, with most rain between December and April, and tropical cyclones such as Gonu in 2007 and Phet in 2010 have affected the coast in June. Plan for heat and storm disruption.
Yes. Oman's TRA type approval is required for telecom equipment, valid for four years, with a local representative and compliance mark. Confirm the current rules for each model with your supplier.
Summers are hot and humid along the coast, which affects outdoor equipment and battery life. Check the certified ambient range, avoid direct sun on parked devices and charge only in a safe area. Ask the operator for its device handling rules.
Other guides for Muscat, other places in Oman, and the pages behind them.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.