PIC: who works there
EQUATE is the single operator at Shuaiba of three plants: Kuwait Paraxylene Production Company, The Kuwait Styrene Company and The Kuwait Olefins Company, all run under one operating umbrella.
PIC · explosion proof
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for PIC
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. Its first fertiliser complex began operating in the Shuaiba Industrial Zone in 1967. This page sets out how an explosion proof mobile phone supply route to PIC will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
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
RouteSupply
WherePIC
Short answer. An explosion proof mobile phone for PIC cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. 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
How suppliers reach 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: projects and investment
In 2026 PIC acquired a 25 per cent stake in Wanhua Petrochemical Group's assets in Yantai, China, creating Wanhua-PIC Petrochemicals, so it now has overseas sites as well as its Kuwait ones.
PIC: rules and approvals
PIC is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary, and supplier guides note that KPC companies keep separate vendor databases, so registration with PIC is handled by PIC rather than by a group-wide list.
PIC: background
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.
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 · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for PIC
Supply of the IS-04Z1 to PIC starts only after certification, through authorised distributors. Until then a buyer can request the datasheet and the written certification schedule, and arrange a safe-area evaluation unit, which puts the site on the list for the right local channel at launch.
- 01
Request the datasheet
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
- 02
Ask for the certification schedule
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
- 03
Evaluate in a safe area
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
- 04
Register for launch
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
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.
How will SAMS supply PIC?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Is PIC the same as EQUATE for contractor access to the Shuaiba site?
No. EQUATE is a joint venture in which PIC is a shareholder, and it operates the paraxylene, styrene and olefins plants at Shuaiba as one operating company. Contractor induction, permits and equipment rules are therefore normally set by the plant operator concerned, so confirm which company controls the unit you will visit.
Should a phone for PIC sites be certified to ATEX or IECEx?
Operators in Kuwait generally ask for recognised international certification such as IECEx or ATEX, but PIC and its joint ventures decide what they accept. Ask the site HSE or instrumentation team which certificates, gas group and temperature class they require before ordering equipment for a classified area.
Does each PIC joint venture approve equipment separately?
Possibly. Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself, and a joint venture may have its own procurement and HSE rules. Ask each operating company which evidence it needs. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, so share only the datasheet and target marking.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on PIC, and on other places in Kuwait.
IECEx Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PICSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KNPCElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for EQUATEElsewhere 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
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 · 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.