Crude export hub
Crude oil and refinery products are loaded onto tankers off Mina Al Fahal by subsea pipeline and single buoy moorings.
The Central Hajar Mountains run along the northern coastline, and the deep coast forms two natural harbours at Muttrah and Muscat. These are the main classified-area sites. A hazardous area smartphone distributor in Muscat would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Muscat 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. 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 | Muscat: Refinery process units, Crude export and fuel storage, Industrial city factories using solvents or gases | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Muscat. 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.
Crude oil and refinery products are loaded onto tankers off Mina Al Fahal by subsea pipeline and single buoy moorings.
Summers are hot and humid along the coast, which affects outdoor equipment and battery life.
TRA type approval in Oman is valid for four years, and a local representative and compliance mark are required.
Petroleum Development Oman, the leading exploration and production company, is owned 60 percent by the government and found its first economic oil in 1962.
Tropical cyclones Gonu in 2007 and Phet in 2010 brought strong winds and heavy rain to Muscat in June, so tropical storms are a planning consideration.
Sultan Qaboos Street is the main artery running west to east, with roads to Nizwa and Al Amrat connecting through Rusail and Ruwi.
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 Muscat. Muscat's classified areas include refinery process units, crude export and fuel storage, and industrial-city factories using solvents or gases. The operator or occupier classifies them, not SAMS. Al Rusayl lies about 20 km outside the city, and Madayn manages the estate, so ask each occupier for its own drawings.
A distributor for Muscat 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.
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 refinery process units, crude export and fuel storage, industrial city factories using solvents or gases. 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 Muscat.
Petroleum Development Oman, owned 60 percent by the government with Shell, TotalEnergies and Partex as shareholders. It has its own contractor registration and HSE approval.
Mainly at Mina Al Fahal on the coast, at the refinery and oil company base, and at Al Rusayl Industrial City outside the city. The rest of the city is mostly commercial or residential.
Madayn manages Al Rusayl Industrial City, but each occupier classifies its own areas and sets its own rules. Ask the specific factory or operator what it requires for portable devices. Confirm details with the site operator.
Other guides for Muscat, other places in Oman, and the pages behind them.
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.