Industry mix
Factories produce machinery, chemicals, construction materials, food and other goods, so hazard profiles differ by plant.
King Khalid International Airport lies about 35 km north of the city centre and is the main hub for visitors, which sets the transfer time to inland industrial areas. Aramco's Riyadh Refinery and manufacturing plants create Zone 1 and Zone 21 areas, but most hydrocarbon sites are in the Eastern Province. Distribution partners for Riyadh are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Riyadh 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.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. 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 | Riyadh: Refinery process units, Chemical and manufacturing plants, Industrial plant dust areas (Zone 21) | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Riyadh. 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.
Factories produce machinery, chemicals, construction materials, food and other goods, so hazard profiles differ by plant.
Twenty-three of the 24 ministries and firms such as SABIC and STC are headquartered here, so many buyers and contractors are based in Riyadh even when classified areas are elsewhere.
Winters can be surprisingly cold, with a January average low of about 7 C, and most of the little rain falls in March and April, so the temperature range is wide.
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission in Riyadh issues radio type-approval certificates; they are renewed every two years and European test documents are accepted.
More than 500 foreign companies have moved regional headquarters to Riyadh, alongside banks and major Saudi firms, so many equipment buyers and project teams are based in the capital.
Dust storms occur in Riyadh and can cut visibility to under 10 m, so filters, port covers and sealed enclosures matter for handheld equipment.
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 Riyadh. Riyadh's classified areas include refinery process units, chemical and manufacturing plants and industrial dust areas. Most hydrocarbon sites are in the Eastern Province, not here. Each plant operator classifies its own areas, not SAMS. Obtain the classification for the specific plant first.
A distributor for Riyadh 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 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.
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, chemical and manufacturing plants, industrial plant dust areas (zone 21). 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 Riyadh.
Mainly a buying and engineering centre. Aramco's Riyadh refinery and many factories have classified areas, but most large oil and gas sites are in the Eastern Province. Procurement teams, regional headquarters and contractors are in Riyadh even when plants are elsewhere.
MODON, headquartered in Riyadh, develops and oversees industrial cities across the Kingdom, but each factory operator decides its own safety and equipment rules. Check the specific tenant's HSE team for hazardous-area device approval before delivery.
Industrial plant dust areas classified Zone 21 are present. The IS-04Z1 target marking, II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4, refers to gas atmospheres, and certification is in progress. Do not assume dust suitability; ask the supplier and the plant's safety officer which marking the dust area requires.
Related guides for Riyadh and for Saudi Arabia.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.