Saudi Arabia: background
The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu was established in 1975 to develop two coastal industrial centres, Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea.
The IS-04Z1 is a Zone 1 and Zone 21 handset for people who work inside classified areas in the Kingdom: field operators, maintenance and inspection engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. Buyers searching for an explosion proof smartphone supplier for Saudi Arabia can take the datasheet and the certification schedule for the IS-04Z1 now; supply follows certification.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. An explosion proof smartphone for Saudi Arabia 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.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. 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 | Saudi Arabia: Khurais, Fadhili, Abqaiq | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Saudi Arabia. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Saudi Arabia market guide.
The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu was established in 1975 to develop two coastal industrial centres, Jubail on the Arabian Gulf and Yanbu on the Red Sea.
Ras Tanura Port is described as the world's largest crude oil export terminal, handling about 20 percent of global oil exports and over 2,000 tankers a year.
Ras Tanura Refinery was established in 1939 and is the largest refinery in Saudi Arabia, run by Saudi Aramco.
Jubail has the world's largest independent water and power project, producing about 2,744 megawatts of electricity and 800,000 cubic metres of water daily.
“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 Saudi Arabia. The everyday phrase explosion-proof covers several concepts at Abqaiq, Ras Tanura and Ghawar. Flameproof Ex d suits heavy fixed equipment, whereas the IS-04Z1 relies on intrinsic safety, limiting the energy available in the handset. For a reviewer the question is which concept applies to the device being carried into the area.
Supply of the IS-04Z1 to Saudi Arabia 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.
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
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.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated 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.
The market guide for Saudi Arabia covers Abqaiq, Ras Tanura, Ghawar, Shaybah, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Saudi Aramco, SABIC and other large operators set their own supplier and equipment standards within national regulation, and the Royal Commission manages Jubail and Yanbu. Ask the end user for its approved-vendor requirements before shipping any device.
Jubail and Ras Tanura on the Gulf coast, Yanbu on the Red Sea, and many Saudi Aramco fields and plants inland. Jubail and Yanbu are managed by the Royal Commission.
The 4,000 mAh battery is specified for a full shift, because recharging inside a classified area is not possible and stores can be far away. Actual runtime depends on camera, torch and GNSS use, so test it on a real round during an evaluation.
Other guides for Saudi Arabia, other places in Saudi Arabia, and the pages behind them.
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.