Where hazardous-area demand sits
ADNOC says its downstream strategy is focused on the Ruwais refining and petrochemical complex, so buyers targeting refinery work should look there rather than at Umm Al Nar.
The protected archaeological site is fenced by a concrete wall of about 1,760 m, and it lies between a refinery and a sensitive military area, so works near it face heritage constraints. ADNOC shut it in 2022 and focused its downstream refining and petrochemicals strategy on Ruwais, so current Zone 1 work is elsewhere. This page explains what to look for in an Ex-proof mobile phone for Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery), 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 Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery): 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. 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 | Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery): Decommissioned refinery process units (former), Site clearance and demolition works, Relocated process units being reassembled elsewhere in the UAE | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Umm Al Nar Refinery. 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.
ADNOC says its downstream strategy is focused on the Ruwais refining and petrochemical complex, so buyers targeting refinery work should look there rather than at Umm Al Nar.
ADNOC states the refinery was shut down with zero flaring in 2022, and the land has since been repurposed to suit Abu Dhabi's future needs.
The first archaeological excavations in Abu Dhabi began at Umm Al Nar in 1959, twelve years before the UAE was founded.
UAE handsets need type approval from the federal Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and any remaining fuel or gas facility nearby will set its own device rules.
The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi has run three seasons of fieldwork at the island since 2020, so archaeology and industrial clearance can overlap in time.
The island gave its name to the Umm Al Nar Bronze Age culture of about 2600 to 2000 BCE, so it is better known archaeologically than as a refinery site.
“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 Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery). A marking check on a former refinery would start with whether any zone classification remains active during clearance. Where a decommissioned unit is still being purged or opened, the operator decides the zone, gas group and temperature class. The IS-04Z1 target marking is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, still pending certification, so check it against that classification.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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.
Likely candidates are decommissioned refinery process units (former), site clearance and demolition works, relocated process units being reassembled elsewhere in the uae. 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.
The island is reached across a bridge restricted to pass holders. It also holds a protected archaeological site between a refinery and a sensitive military area, so public access is prohibited. Contractors need a pass arranged through the site owner or main contractor.
Possibly limited. The former refinery was shut in 2022, so current work is mainly decommissioning, clearance and site works, which can still involve residual hydrocarbons and gas-freeing. Confirm the current status and rules with the site owner before specifying devices.
ADNOC states that the refinery stopped operating in 2022 and the land is being redeveloped. Some clearance and demolition activity may involve residual classified areas, but live refinery work has moved on. Confirm with the site operator what classification, if any, still applies to a given work package.
Other guides for Umm Al Nar Refinery, other places in United Arab Emirates, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.