Large LPG plant
The OQ LPG plant was built to process about 8 million standard cubic metres a day of lean gas.
Oman's TRA type approval is valid for four years and needs a local representative and a compliance mark for telecom equipment. 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. A hazardous area mobile phone 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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.
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
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.
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.
Salalah's new international airport opened on 15 June 2015, and the old airport was converted into a domestic and emergency airfield, with flights linking Muscat, India and regional Arab cities.
The khareef monsoon runs from June to September, with fog and cloud in July and August, so conditions differ sharply from northern Oman's dry heat.
The city has a hot desert climate, but summers are cooler than in northern or inland Oman.
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 Salalah. Most hazardous-area work in Salalah is in the free zone: methanol and ammonia production, LPG extraction and storage and port liquid bulk handling. The plant operators and terminal companies classify these areas, not SAMS. Ask each for its own zone drawings.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Salalah yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
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.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
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 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.
More on Salalah, and on other places in Oman.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.