Climate
Hot desert climate, though about 3 C cooler on average than Riyadh because of the altitude.
Najran is a fast-growing city in south-west Saudi Arabia, near the Yemen border, at about 1,300 m elevation. Najran city had 381,431 residents in the 2022 census and the wider governorate 592,300, so it is a sizeable regional centre for labour and services. If you are specifying an explosion proof smartphone for Najran, 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 Najran: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned 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 | Najran: Chemical and plastics manufacturing, Mining and quarrying operations, Stone and industrial dust areas (Zone 21) | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Najran. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
Hot desert climate, though about 3 C cooler on average than Riyadh because of the altitude.
Najran Industrial City covers 6.5 million square metres, about 45 km north-east of Najran city.
Copper and zinc reserve zones covering another 70 square km are identified near Najran, pointing to possible future mining and processing work.
Factories in the region cover food processing, chemicals, plastics, paper and non-metallic minerals, so hazards range from solvents to combustible dusts.
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission issues radio type approval, renewed every two years, and accepts European test documents for handsets.
The city lies in the fertile Wadi Najran, a valley that has long been a crossroads of caravan routes, so industrial work sits close to farmland and water sources.
“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 Najran. Explosion-proof is rarely the key phrase in Najran, where chemical and plastics manufacturing sits alongside mining and quarrying. Flameproof Ex d suits fixed equipment in gas areas, while dust areas bring different protection concepts. The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsic safety in gas atmospheres, and dust suitability should be checked separately.
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.
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 chemical and plastics manufacturing, mining and quarrying operations, stone and industrial dust areas (zone 21). 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.
Smaller than in the Eastern Province. The area has factories making chemicals, plastics, paper and food products, plus quarrying and mining, so classified areas exist but are mainly in individual plants. Each factory or mine sets its own approval rules.
The city is about 1,200 to 1,300 m above sea level and is a little cooler than Riyadh, but still hot desert. Handsets still need heat tolerance, and long supply lines mean spare batteries and chargers should be carried.
The target marking, II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, refers to gas atmospheres. Dust areas such as Zone 21 call for dust-related protection, which is a different marking. Certification is still in progress, so do not assume dust suitability. Ask the supplier directly and confirm with the factory's safety officer.
Related guides for Najran and for Saudi Arabia.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.