Large LPG plant
The OQ LPG plant was built to process about 8 million standard cubic metres a day of lean gas.
The city has a hot desert climate, but summers are cooler than in northern or inland Oman. OQ Base Industries runs Oman's integrated methanol, ammonia and LPG complex in the free zone, which is where most hazardous-area work is found. An explosion proof smartphone distributor in Salalah would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Salalah has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. 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 | Salalah: Methanol and ammonia production, LPG extraction and storage, Port liquid bulk handling | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Salalah. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
The OQ LPG plant was built to process about 8 million standard cubic metres a day of lean gas.
A monsoon, locally called khareef, runs from June to September and brings mist and rain, unlike most of Oman.
The Salalah Free Zone beside the port is developing as a centre for heavy industries, so most hazardous-area activity is at the port zone rather than the city.
The Port of Salalah has operated since 1998 and is the largest port in Oman, with a container terminal and a general cargo terminal serving East Africa, the Red Sea, the Indian subcontinent and the Gulf.
Salalah is the capital of Dhofar and the third-largest city in Oman, with a population of about 332,000.
APM Terminals manages the Port of Salalah, a major transshipment hub, which lies outside the city to the south and is the largest private employer in Dhofar.
“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 Salalah. At methanol and ammonia production and LPG storage, explosion-proof is common shorthand. Flameproof Ex d suits fixed equipment in strong housings, whereas a handheld used on plant rounds and port liquid bulk handling suits intrinsic safety. The IS-04Z1 is designed around intrinsic safety.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Salalah. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
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.
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 methanol and ammonia production, lpg extraction and storage, port liquid bulk handling. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Salalah.
From June to September the khareef monsoon brings cloud and fog, especially in July and August, so conditions are cooler and damper than in northern Oman. Protect portable equipment against moisture and condensation during this season.
Yes, Oman TRA type approval is needed for telecom equipment and is valid for four years. Your distributor should confirm the approval for the model.
The monsoon runs from June to September and brings mist and rain, unlike most of Oman. IP68 is designed to withstand water and dust, but it is not explosion protection. Check the certified ambient range and keep devices dry. Ask the operator about wet-weather practice.
Other guides for Salalah, other places in Oman, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.