Free zone
Jafza, DP World's flagship free zone, grew from 19 companies in 1985 to over 11,000 today, so access and site rules vary by tenant.
Jebel Ali, south-west of Dubai, combines the DP World port, the Jebel Ali Free Zone, the DEWA power and desalination complex and the EGA aluminium smelter. The port handled about 13.7 million TEU in 2021, so container, truck and crane traffic is dense and site rules on vehicles and equipment are strict. This page explains what to look for in a hazardous area mobile phone for Jebel Ali, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Jebel Ali: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Jebel Ali: Gas-fired power station fuel systems, Desalination and power plant gas supply, Smelter power-station fuel areas | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Jebel Ali. 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.
Jafza, DP World's flagship free zone, grew from 19 companies in 1985 to over 11,000 today, so access and site rules vary by tenant.
Hot, humid coastal conditions; outdoor equipment should be rated for heat and salt air.
With 67 berths, the harbour is described as the world's largest man-made harbour and the biggest port in the Middle East, so jetty and quay areas are extensive.
Jebel Ali Port opened in 1979, inaugurated on 26 February that year to supplement Port Rashid, so much of the district's infrastructure dates from the last 45 years.
The port is linked to Dubai's expressway system and to the airport cargo village, which makes a four-hour ship-to-aircraft transfer possible for urgent spares.
The port lies about 35 km south-west of Dubai, so teams based in the city face a long road transfer along the coast.
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 Jebel Ali. Jebel Ali's classified areas include gas-fired power station fuel systems, oil storage terminals, smelter power-station fuel areas and chemical and fuel warehousing. Each operator or tenant classifies its own areas, not SAMS. DEWA's complex and the EGA smelter are both large, with their own power plant arrangements.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
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 gas-fired power station fuel systems, desalination and power plant gas supply, smelter power-station fuel areas, chemical and fuel warehousing. 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.
The port is connected to the airport cargo village, and its operator notes that a four-hour ship-to-aircraft transfer is possible. That helps when a part must reach a site quickly, but hazardous-area equipment still needs its certification documents and customs paperwork in place.
The port has a container yard of over one million square metres and about 960,000 square metres of open storage, so handsets used there face sun, heat and dust. Choose a sealed device with a stated operating temperature range and ingress protection rating.
Conditions are hot and humid, with summer highs near 40 degrees C. The IS-04Z1 is designed to IP68 with a 4,000 mAh battery, but heat limits have not been published. Ask for the datasheet, and confirm with the site operator whether outdoor use is expected in peak summer.
Other guides for Jebel Ali, other places in United Arab Emirates, 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.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.