PIC: projects and investment
The Kuwait Olefins Company was formed in 2008 between PIC and Dow with equal 42.5 per cent shares, adding an olefins and derivatives train to the Shuaiba industrial area.
PIC · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for PIC
Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary producing polymers, aromatics and fertilisers, with more than 60 years of experience and seven joint ventures according to its website. Kuwait's first chemical fertiliser complex began operating in the Shuaiba Industrial Zone in 1967, and manufacturing capacity there was expanded through the 1970s with a further fertiliser plant. If you are specifying an explosion proof mobile phone for PIC, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
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 topicexplosion proof
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WherePIC
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for PIC: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · explosion proof
Checklist: explosion proof mobile phone for PIC
| 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 | PIC: Petrochemical process units, Polymer and aromatics plants, Fertiliser plants | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Kuwait
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 Kuwait. 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 organisation · PIC
Working with Petrochemical Industries Company: sites and classified areas
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
Sites and areas
- Shuaiba Industrial Zone (Al Ahmadi Governorate)
- Equate petrochemical complex, Shuaiba (joint venture)
Classified areas
- Petrochemical process units
- Polymer and aromatics plants
- Fertiliser plants
Supplier approval · PIC
Becoming an approved supplier to PIC
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams. 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.
Field notes · PIC
More about PIC that matters for portable equipment
PIC: industry on the ground
Kuwait Aromatics Company is owned by PIC, KNPC and Qurain, and its paraxylene unit makes about 829,000 tonnes a year plus benzene and heavy aromatics, giving flammable-liquid handling across the Shuaiba complex.
PIC: industry on the ground
EQUATE was established in 1995 as a joint venture of PIC, Dow, Boubyan Petrochemical and Qurain Petrochemical, started production in 1997, and makes over 5 million tonnes of petrochemicals a year.
PIC: background
Petrochemical Industries Company was established in 1963 and is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. In 1974 it took over salt and chlorine plants from the Ministry of Electricity and Water.
The term · explosion proof
What “explosion proof” means for a smartphone
“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 PIC. In polymer, aromatics and fertiliser plants explosion-proof is a broad label. Flameproof Ex d protects fixed motors and enclosures, while a handheld phone relies on intrinsic safety. Aromatics such as benzene bring flammable vapour, and fertiliser plants bring their own process hazards, so the concept must be matched to each plant. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety.
The route · specification
Specifying an explosion proof mobile phone for PIC
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 · PIC
Frequently asked questions
Can PIC buy the IS-04Z1 today?
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.
What does an explosion proof mobile phone for PIC 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.
Is the IS-04Z1 explosion proof or intrinsically safe?
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.
How does PIC approve suppliers?
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
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.
Do PIC joint ventures register suppliers separately?
Often yes. EQUATE and the other joint ventures run their own plants and procurement, while PIC itself is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary with its own vendor process. Check with each company's procurement team, as registration with one organisation does not normally entitle you to bid with the others.
What hazardous-area conditions do petrochemical units at Shuaiba usually involve?
Aromatics, olefins and styrene units handle flammable liquids and gases, so Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas with gas groups IIA to IIB, and in some cases IIC, are typical. Dusty polymer and fertiliser handling can add Zone 21 or 22 areas. Always request the classification drawing for the specific unit.
Are fertiliser plants treated like petrochemical plants for hazardous areas?
Not necessarily. Fertiliser plants can have different gases and dusts from polymer or aromatics units, and the operator's classification decides. The IS-04Z1 targets gas atmospheres only. Ask PIC's HSE team for the area drawings and the substances involved before judging any device.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for PIC and for Kuwait.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PICSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for PICSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for EQUATEElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KNPCElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCElsewhere in Kuwait
Kuwait market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for KuwaitEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · PIC
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for PIC, Kuwait
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · PIC
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for PIC?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.