Access
Aramco facilities are controlled-access sites; Dammam airport serves commercial travel.
Ras Tanura · Ex-proof
Ex-Proof Smartphone in Ras Tanura
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission handles radio type approval; certificates are renewed every two years, with European test documents accepted. Refining, terminal and gas plant areas create Zone 1 conditions. This page explains what to look for in an Ex-proof smartphone for Ras Tanura, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topicEx-proof
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereRas Tanura
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Ras Tanura: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · Ex-proof
Checklist: Ex-proof smartphone for Ras Tanura
| 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 | Ras Tanura: Refinery process units, Crude export terminal piers and sea islands, Storage tank farms | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Ras Tanura
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Ras Tanura. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The site · Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura at a glance: who is there, what is classified
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Operators and companies on site
- Saudi Aramco
Classified areas to expect
- Refinery process units
- Crude export terminal piers and sea islands
- Storage tank farms
- Natural gas liquids fractionation (Ju'aymah)
Local conditions · Ras Tanura
Conditions in Ras Tanura that affect handheld equipment
Terminal
The oil terminal has North and South Piers and a Sea Islands section.
Field notes · Ras Tanura
More about Ras Tanura that matters for portable equipment
Ras Tanura: geography and layout
Ras Tanura is a peninsula governorate bordered by Jubail to the north and Qatif to the west and south, so road access runs through neighbouring governorates.
Ras Tanura: infrastructure
A two-lane highway joins Ras Tanura to the Dhahran to Jubail Highway, and the Ras Tanura to Safwa Bridge links it with Safwa city in Qatif Governorate.
Ras Tanura: logistics and access
Commercial flights use King Fahd International Airport in Dammam; Ras Tanura's own airport is private and run by Aramco for its employees.
Ras Tanura: background
The refinery was established in 1939 and expanded substantially after the Second World War, so equipment and layouts range from very old to recently modernised.
The term · Ex-proof
What “Ex-proof” means for a smartphone
“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 Ras Tanura. Storage tank farms and loading piers handle fuels and crude, where lower gas groups often apply, while fractionation of natural gas liquids may differ. A marking check should read the gas group and temperature class from Aramco's classification. The IS-04Z1 target marking is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4.
The route · specification
Specifying an Ex-proof smartphone for Ras Tanura
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · Ras Tanura
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an Ex-proof smartphone in Ras Tanura today?
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.
What does an Ex-proof smartphone in Ras Tanura cost?
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.
What Ex marking will the IS-04Z1 carry?
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.
Which areas at Ras Tanura would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units, crude export terminal piers and sea islands, storage tank farms, natural gas liquids fractionation (ju'aymah). Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
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.
Who sets equipment rules at Ras Tanura?
Saudi Aramco manages and operates the industrial infrastructure, so its safety and approval procedures apply to contractors working on the refinery, terminal and gas plant. Check the current vendor and equipment-approval requirements with the Aramco project owner or the main contractor.
Are Ras Tanura facilities old or new?
Both. The refinery dates from 1939 and has been expanded many times, so older plant sits alongside modern units. For handheld devices, ask for the area classification and equipment group for each unit, since gas groups and temperature classes can differ between old and new areas.
Can a handset be used on the piers and sea islands?
Only if its protection suits the classified area there, and if the operator permits it. The piers and sea islands handle crude, where Aramco classifies the area. Ask Aramco or the site contractor for the zone and the device approval route before any handset goes near a loading point.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Ras Tanura and for Saudi Arabia.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in YanbuElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in JubailElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in DhahranElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in JizanElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Ras Tanura
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · Ras Tanura
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Ras Tanura?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.