EGAS: industry on the ground
Gas imports began in April 2015, with regasification supplying the national grid, after domestic consumption reached about the same level as production, so import terminals form part of the system.
EGAS is Egypt's state-owned natural gas holding company, established in August 2001 and based in Nasr City, Cairo. In 2014 and 2015 EGAS signed six agreements covering three offshore areas in the Mediterranean and three onshore areas in the Nile Delta, and launched a bidding round for twelve offshore blocks. If you are specifying an explosion proof mobile phone for EGAS, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for EGAS: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Protection concept | Flameproof (Ex d) or intrinsic safety (Ex i) | Intrinsic safety, level ib |
| Zone suitability | Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust | Design target for Zone 1 and 21 |
| Certificate | Number, issuing body and schedule of conditions | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | EGAS: Gas production and processing facilities, Gas pipelines and transmission stations, Tank farms | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Egypt. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
EGAS publishes supplier registration forms and guides, and an LNG supplier register with published criteria, on its website (egas.com.eg); confirm current procedures with EGAS directly. The Ex certificate and an organisation's own vendor or engineering approval are two separate timelines; SAMS is working towards both and holds neither today.
Gas imports began in April 2015, with regasification supplying the national grid, after domestic consumption reached about the same level as production, so import terminals form part of the system.
EGAS is a state-owned holding company established in August 2001 that owns and manages state stakes in gas projects, with its headquarters in Nasr City, Cairo, and it is owned by EGPC.
BP's West Nile Delta development, announced in 2015 with a 12 billion dollar investment, processes offshore gas onshore and was expected to supply about a quarter of Egypt's gas, with the Atoll field producing from 2018.
EGAS's own timeline records the first commercial gas discovery at the Abu Madi field in 1970, household gas distribution from 1980 and the first local distribution company, Egypt Gas, in 1983.
“Explosion proof” is the phrase most buyers use for equipment that may be taken into a classified hazardous area. Strictly, it covers several protection concepts: a flameproof enclosure (Ex d) contains an internal explosion, while intrinsic safety (Ex i) limits electrical energy so that an ignition cannot start. Phones are normally intrinsically safe, because a flameproof handset would be too heavy to carry all shift.
The IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, with a marking target of Ex ib IIC T4, and is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21. It is pre-launch, certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
In EGAS. In gas plants and LNG facilities, 'explosion-proof' is everyday shorthand for different concepts. Flameproof Ex d protects fixed equipment, while intrinsic safety limits the energy of a portable device. A phone used at a transmission station or tank farm is a handheld, so the IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety.
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.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
It is intrinsically safe (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), which is the usual way to make a phone for hazardous areas. It is not a flameproof (Ex d) design, and certification is still in progress.
EGAS publishes supplier registration forms and guides, and an LNG supplier register with published criteria, on its website (egas.com.eg); confirm current procedures with EGAS directly.
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.
Arabic is the official language and English is widely used in international joint ventures, so manuals and safety instructions for hazardous-area devices are commonly accepted in English for engineering review, with Arabic training for site staff. Confirm requirements with the operating company.
Typical classified areas include offshore platforms, onshore gas treatment plants in the Nile Delta and Western Desert, compressor stations, the Damietta and Idku LNG plants and regasification terminals. Classification is site-specific, so request the area drawings from the operator.
Both are classified by the operator, so compare the device marking with each area's documents. The gas group, zone and temperature class can differ between them. The IS-04Z1 target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, not yet certified. Confirm with EGAS's HSE team.
More on EGAS, and on other places in Egypt.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.