Seasonal climate
Summers are long, arid and extremely hot while winters are mild and wetter, with more seasonal variation than the southern fields.
The Citadel of Erbil, at the heart of the old city, was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in July 2014, and the area is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. The Kalak refinery of KAR Group, in Kalak district about 40 km west of the city, processes crude from nearby fields and creates refinery and fuel-storage hazardous areas. A hazardous area mobile phone distributor in Erbil and the Kurdistan Region would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Erbil and the Kurdistan Region 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Erbil and the Kurdistan Region: Refinery process units, Fuel storage and loading, Gas and field production facilities in the region | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Erbil. 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.
Summers are long, arid and extremely hot while winters are mild and wetter, with more seasonal variation than the southern fields.
The Kurdistan Region has its own ministries and company registration processes, which can differ from federal Iraq.
Iraq's winters are wetter and cooler than its summers, averaging about 10 degrees Celsius, and the north sees temperatures fall below freezing at times.
Invest Kurdistan states oil output of about 450,000 barrels a day for the region, supporting a mix of wellsite, gathering and processing facilities.
Erbil International Airport has a 4,800 metre runway and a terminal designed for up to 4.5 million passengers a year, around 7 km from the city centre.
Iraq's Communications and Media Commission issues type approval certificates valid for one year for telecommunications equipment sold in the country.
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Erbil and the Kurdistan Region. Erbil's classified areas include refinery process units, fuel storage and loading and field production facilities across the region. Area classification belongs to the operator, not SAMS. Because the Kurdistan Region has its own administration, ask the facility which authority and which documents govern its classification before selecting any device.
A distributor for Erbil and the Kurdistan Region would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
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.
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, fuel storage and loading, gas and field production facilities in the region. 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 Erbil and the Kurdistan Region.
The Kurdistan Region has its own regional government and administration, so permits, entry arrangements and company registration may differ from Baghdad. Confirm requirements with your host before travel.
Erbil International Airport has a very long 4,800 metre runway and can handle passenger and cargo flights, which is convenient for urgent equipment shipments. Customs clearance is handled by your freight agent.
No. Refinery process units and fuel loading areas can be classified hazardous, and an ordinary phone is not designed for them. Only equipment suitable for the zone and approved by the operator should enter. The IS-04Z1 is intended for such areas but is not yet certified.
More on Erbil, and on other places in Iraq.
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.