Wider complex
The governorate also has the Ju'aymah gas plant and the Ghazlan power plant serving Eastern Province industry.
Ras Tanura · hazardous area
Hazardous Area Smartphone in Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura is a peninsula governorate in the Eastern Province hosting Aramco's Ras Tanura Refinery, with a crude distillation capacity of 550,000 barrels a day, and one of the world's largest crude export terminals. The marine complex is described as handling over 2,000 tankers a year, using an artificial island, north and south piers and the Ju'aymah crude terminal. This page explains what to look for in a hazardous area smartphone for Ras Tanura, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topichazardous area
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereRas Tanura
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Ras Tanura: 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · hazardous area
Checklist: hazardous area smartphone for Ras Tanura
| 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 | Ras Tanura: Refinery process units, Crude export terminal piers and sea islands, Storage tank farms | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Ras Tanura
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Ras Tanura. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The site · Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura: where the IS-04Z1 would work
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
Operators and companies on site
- Saudi Aramco
Classified areas to expect
- Refinery process units
- Crude export terminal piers and sea islands
- Storage tank farms
- Natural gas liquids fractionation (Ju'aymah)
Local conditions · Ras Tanura
Site conditions at Ras Tanura: what wears and what limits equipment
Access
Aramco facilities are controlled-access sites; Dammam airport serves commercial travel.
Field notes · Ras Tanura
More about Ras Tanura that matters for portable equipment
Ras Tanura: infrastructure
A two-lane highway joins Ras Tanura to the Dhahran to Jubail Highway, and the Ras Tanura to Safwa Bridge links it with Safwa city in Qatif Governorate.
Ras Tanura: logistics and access
Commercial flights use King Fahd International Airport in Dammam; Ras Tanura's own airport is private and run by Aramco for its employees.
Ras Tanura: rules and approvals
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission handles radio type approval; certificates are renewed every two years, with European test documents accepted.
Ras Tanura: background
The refinery was established in 1939 and expanded substantially after the Second World War, so equipment and layouts range from very old to recently modernised.
The term · hazardous area
What “hazardous area” means for a smartphone
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 Ras Tanura. Ras Tanura's classified areas include refinery process units, terminal piers and sea islands, storage tank farms and natural gas liquids fractionation at Ju'aymah. Aramco as operator classifies them; SAMS does not. A buyer should request the area drawings for the specific unit before choosing equipment.
The route · specification
Specifying a hazardous area smartphone for Ras Tanura
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · Ras Tanura
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy a hazardous area smartphone in Ras Tanura today?
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.
What does a hazardous area smartphone in Ras Tanura cost?
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.
Which hazardous areas is the IS-04Z1 designed for?
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.
Which areas at Ras Tanura would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units, crude export terminal piers and sea islands, storage tank farms, natural gas liquids fractionation (ju'aymah). Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
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.
Who sets equipment rules at Ras Tanura?
Saudi Aramco manages and operates the industrial infrastructure, so its safety and approval procedures apply to contractors working on the refinery, terminal and gas plant. Check the current vendor and equipment-approval requirements with the Aramco project owner or the main contractor.
Are Ras Tanura facilities old or new?
Both. The refinery dates from 1939 and has been expanded many times, so older plant sits alongside modern units. For handheld devices, ask for the area classification and equipment group for each unit, since gas groups and temperature classes can differ between old and new areas.
Can a handset be used on the piers and sea islands?
Only if its protection suits the classified area there, and if the operator permits it. The piers and sea islands handle crude, where Aramco classifies the area. Ask Aramco or the site contractor for the zone and the device approval route before any handset goes near a loading point.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Other guides for Ras Tanura, other places in Saudi Arabia, and the pages behind them.
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in AbqaiqElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in DhahranElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in NajranElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in JizanElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Ras Tanura
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · Ras Tanura
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Ras Tanura?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.