Egypt: projects and investment
Egypt has set a target of 42 per cent renewable electricity by 2030 and is building nuclear capacity at El Dabaa, so new classified-area work will include non-fossil projects too.
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in Egypt every shift: Gulf of Suez platform crews, LNG terminal operators, refinery engineers and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. Egypt's LNG plants at Damietta and Idku are operated by Egyptian LNG and SEGAS LNG, and gas supplied 84 per cent of Egypt's electricity in 2023. An IECEx cell phone distributor in Egypt would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Egypt 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Number checkable on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Standards edition | The IEC 60079 edition the certificate cites | Stated on the certificate when issued |
| Schedule of conditions | Limits of use, batteries and accessories | Published with the certificate |
| Where it applies | Egypt: Idku, Damietta, Suez | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Egypt. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Egypt market guide.
Egypt has set a target of 42 per cent renewable electricity by 2030 and is building nuclear capacity at El Dabaa, so new classified-area work will include non-fossil projects too.
Apache, using assets acquired from BP in 2010, is the major operator in the Western Desert, often through joint ventures with EGPC such as Khalda Petroleum and Qarun Petroleum.
The Arab Gas Pipeline was developed to carry gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, with a planned total length of 1,200 kilometres, showing how pipeline and compressor sites extend beyond the Delta.
Zohr, found by Eni in 2015 in the Shorouk Block 190 kilometres north of Port Said, holds an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of gas, and production began in December 2017.
IECEx is the international scheme for certifying equipment used in explosive atmospheres. A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited certification body against a specific edition of the IEC 60079 standards and carries a schedule of conditions of safe use. It is not a legal requirement in most countries on its own, but many national schemes accept it as the technical basis.
The IECEx certificate for the IS-04Z1 is in progress and has not been issued. The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, the intrinsic safety concept for Zone 1 gas with the hardest gas group (IIC) and a 135 °C temperature class.
In Egypt. IECEx is the technical basis EGPC and its operating affiliates work from, and it is the link to international operators such as Eni at Zohr and to contractors at Idku and Damietta. The reviewer reads the certificate of conformity and the schedule of conditions. EOS conformity and NTRA radio approval are separate, and none of the three is finished.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Egypt 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.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
The market guide for Egypt covers Gulf of Suez, Zohr field, Idku, Damietta, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
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 Egypt.
Typically at Western Desert and Gulf of Suez oil and gas facilities, Mediterranean offshore gas processing, LNG plants at Damietta and Idku, refineries and the petrochemical clusters near the Suez Canal. Ask each operator for its classification drawings before specifying equipment.
NTRA type approval is described as mandatory before telecom or wireless equipment can be imported or sold, usually through a local importer, with CE or FCC test reports and technical documents. Certificates are typically valid for a limited period such as a year. Confirm current rules with NTRA or an agent.
Photography around LNG and export infrastructure runs on strict permit control. Android 16 with EMM and MDM lets camera policy be pushed centrally, so it can be limited per site. The device has a 50 MP camera, but use is subject to site rules. Check with the operator's security team.
More on Egypt, and on other places in Egypt.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.