Ownership
Borouge Plc is 90 per cent owned by Borouge Group International, formed in March 2026 from Borouge, Borealis and NOVA Chemicals and backed by XRG (ADNOC's investment arm) and OMV.
Borouge operates a polyolefins complex at Ruwais in Abu Dhabi, producing polyethylene and polypropylene. In March 2025 ADNOC and OMV announced plans to merge Borouge with Borealis and to acquire Nova Chemicals, building a larger global polyolefins group, after Borouge listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in 2022. This page explains what to look for in an explosion proof mobile phone for Borouge at Ruwais, 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 Borouge at Ruwais: 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.
| 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 | Borouge at Ruwais: Olefin and polyolefin process units, Polymer powder handling (Zone 21), Feedstock and gas storage | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Borouge Petrochemical. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
Borouge Plc is 90 per cent owned by Borouge Group International, formed in March 2026 from Borouge, Borealis and NOVA Chemicals and backed by XRG (ADNOC's investment arm) and OMV.
Borouge Plc employs more than 2,900 people, with extra contractor staff during project phases.
Borouge is a signatory of the chemical industry's Responsible Care Global Charter, so contractors can expect a formal safety-management culture on site.
Three engineering and construction contracts worth about US$2.6 billion were signed for Borouge 3, including two polyethylene units, two polypropylene units and a 350,000 tonne a year LDPE unit.
UAE handsets need type approval from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, which introduced a new type approval mark taking effect on 1 January 2023.
Borouge employs more than 3,000 people of over 40 nationalities, so safety instructions and handset menus may need to work for a multilingual crew.
“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 Borouge at Ruwais. At a polyolefins complex, explosion-proof is often used for everything Ex. Hydrocarbon feedstock areas call for gas protection, with Ex d for fixed equipment and intrinsic safety for handheld devices, while polymer powder handling raises dust concerns. Borouge's own engineers decide which concept applies in each unit.
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.
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.
Likely candidates are olefin and polyolefin process units, polymer powder handling (zone 21), feedstock and gas storage, utilities and pipelines. 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.
Typically flammable gas and liquid hydrocarbons in the cracker and reactor areas, plus combustible polymer powder and dust in handling, silo and bagging areas. Classification is set by the operator, so ask for gas group, temperature class and dust-zone drawings before specifying devices.
It adds new polyethylene, polypropylene and LDPE units, so construction and commissioning crews join the operating plant. Typically that means more contractor induction, tighter permit control and temporary classified areas; check requirements with the project's main contractor.
Ruwais has a hot, humid Gulf coast climate, so outdoor equipment should cope with heat and salt air. The IS-04Z1 is designed to IP68 with a 4,000 mAh battery, but no hot-weather runtime has been published. Ask for the datasheet and check operating limits with Borouge.
More on Borouge Petrochemical, and on other places in United Arab Emirates.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.