Refinery modernisation
The modernised refinery is ramping up towards about 405,000 barrels a day, and contractors were still completing final units into late 2025 and early 2026.
Sitra · IECEx
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Sitra
Sitra is an island on the east side of Bahrain Island whose northern part is an industrial area. It hosts the Bapco Sitra refinery, whose $7 billion modernisation was inaugurated in December 2024, and the GARMCO aluminium rolling mill, so refinery and heavy-industry hazardous areas are present. Distribution partners for Sitra, Bahrain are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
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 topicIECEx
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteDistribution
WhereSitra
Short answer. Sitra, Bahrain 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx mobile phone for Sitra, Bahrain
| 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 | Sitra, Bahrain: Crude and product storage, Hydrogen and hydrocracking units, Sulphur recovery units | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Sitra
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 Sitra. 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 · Sitra, Bahrain
Sitra, Bahrain: 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
- Bapco Energies (Sitra refinery)
- Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill Company (GARMCO)
Classified areas to expect
- Crude and product storage
- Hydrogen and hydrocracking units
- Sulphur recovery units
- Gas pipeline terminus
Local conditions · Sitra, Bahrain
Site conditions at Sitra, Bahrain: what wears and what limits equipment
Industrial concentration
The northern part of the island is an industrial area, with oil storage in the south and a gas pipeline link to Saudi Arabia.
Field notes · Sitra, Bahrain
More about Sitra, Bahrain that matters for portable equipment
Sitra, Bahrain: infrastructure
Bapco oil storage reservoirs are in the south of the island, and Sitra is the terminus of a 42 km pipeline linking it to Dhahran in Saudi Arabia.
Sitra, Bahrain: industry on the ground
The Bahrain Extrusion Company has operated an aluminium extrusion plant in the Sitra industrial zone since March 1977, so metal-working sits alongside oil facilities.
Sitra, Bahrain: geography and layout
Sitra is an island about 5 km south of Manama, and its northern section has been turned into an industrial area.
Sitra, Bahrain: infrastructure
In 2018 Bapco commissioned a new pipeline to replace pipeline infrastructure more than 70 years old between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
The term · IECEx
What “IECEx” means for a smartphone
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 Sitra, Bahrain. With the Sitra refinery ramping up towards about 405,000 barrels a day and contractors from abroad on site, an IECEx certificate of conformity with its schedule of conditions is the kind of document international teams already know. The IS-04Z1 aims for IECEx certification, which is still in progress and not yet held.
The route · distribution
Distributing the IS-04Z1 in Sitra
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Sitra, Bahrain 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.
What SAMS looks for in a partner
- Operator relationships
- Existing supplier registrations or a clear route to them with the main operators and contractors in Sitra, Bahrain.
- Ex-competent staff
- People who understand zone classification, markings and the conditions of a certificate.
And equally important
- Local-language support
- Documentation, training and helpdesk in the languages the workforce uses.
- Service capability
- Spares, battery replacement and repair routed through SAMS-approved channels.
Questions · Sitra
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an IECEx mobile phone in Sitra today?
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
What does an IECEx mobile phone in Sitra cost?
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.
Does the IS-04Z1 hold an IECEx certificate?
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
Which areas at Sitra, Bahrain would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units, crude and product storage, hydrogen and hydrocracking units, sulphur recovery units. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
How do I become a SAMS distributor for Sitra, Bahrain?
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 Sitra, Bahrain.
Are dust hazards present on Sitra?
Aluminium extrusion and metal-working can produce metal dust in some processes, so some areas may have dust classification; the refinery is mostly gas and vapour. Ask the operator for its dust zone survey.
How does Sitra connect to the rest of Bahrain?
A bridge built in the 1930s links the island to Bahrain Island, and Manama is about 5 km away. Contractors normally go through each operator's gate with induction and permits.
Can contractors bring their own handsets into the Sitra refinery?
Usually only if the operator's permit-to-work and equipment rules allow it, and for classified areas only if the device carries a suitable Ex marking. Refinery contractors generally follow the operator's registration systems. Confirm current requirements with the site operator before mobilising any fleet.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Sitra, and on other places in Bahrain.
Rugged Mobile Phone in SitraSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone in SitraSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in SitraSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in SitraSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in SitraSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in SitraSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in ManamaElsewhere in Bahrain
Bahrain market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for BahrainEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Sitra, Bahrain
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Sitra, Bahrain, Bahrain
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · Sitra, Bahrain
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Sitra?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.