Compact island
Bahrain is a small island state, so the capital, the port and the industrial areas are close together, which shortens service and delivery times.
Manama is the capital of Bahrain, on the north-east coast of Bahrain Island, with Mina Salman as the country's main commercial port. Zone 1 and Zone 21 work around the city relates to port fuel handling, ship repair and the oil, gas and refining sites on the island. An Ex-proof smartphone distributor in Manama would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Manama 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.
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 | Manama: LNG import and regasification (Hidd), Ship repair yards, Refinery process units (Sitra) | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Manama. 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.
Bahrain is a small island state, so the capital, the port and the industrial areas are close together, which shortens service and delivery times.
Summer temperatures reach about 45 C with little rainfall, so outdoor handsets face heat, dust and salt air.
The city has a desert climate with extremely hot summers, mild winters and very little rain, which affects outdoor equipment and vehicle interiors.
Telecommunications equipment sold in Bahrain needs Telecommunications Regulatory Authority type approval, with certificates valid for three years.
Mina Salman port, inside Manama, covers 80 hectares, has been the primary cargo port and customs point since 1962, and handles over 75 percent of its cargo in containers.
Manama sits on the north-eastern coast of Bahrain Island on low-lying terrain, with reclaimed land extending the coastline in recent decades.
“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 Manama. A marking check near Mina Salman port fuel handling or LNG regasification at Hidd would start with the equipment protection level and zone suitability, then gas group and temperature class against the operator's area classification. The IS-04Z1 marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, which remains a target until certified.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Manama. 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 (sitra), port fuel and cargo handling (mina salman), gas processing and lpg handling, lng import and regasification (hidd). 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 Manama.
Equipment needs TRA type approval, normally applied for by a Bahraini supplier, with a certificate valid for three years. Ask your distributor to confirm the approval number for the exact model.
Mostly no. The city centre is commercial, and the classified areas are at the port, fuel handling sites, ship repair yards and the refinery on Sitra. Ask the site operator which areas apply.
Usually not, because Manama is mainly a financial and commercial city and classified areas lie at Sitra, Mina Salman and Hidd. Whether a particular building, fuel point or yard is classified is decided by its operator, so confirm with the site operator before assuming either way.
More on Manama, and on other places in Bahrain.
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.