PIC: rules and approvals
PIC is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary, and supplier guides note that KPC companies keep separate vendor databases, so registration with PIC is handled by PIC rather than by a group-wide list.
PIC · IECEx
IECEx Mobile Phone for PIC
Petrochemical Industries Company was established in 1963 and is a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. In 1974 it took over salt and chlorine plants from the Ministry of Electricity and Water. Its first fertiliser complex began operating in the Shuaiba Industrial Zone in 1967. This page explains what to look for in an IECEx mobile phone for PIC, 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 topicIECEx
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WherePIC
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for PIC: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx mobile phone for PIC
| 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 | PIC: Petrochemical process units, Polymer and aromatics plants, Fertiliser plants | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Kuwait
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 Kuwait. 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 organisation · PIC
Working with Petrochemical Industries Company: sites and classified areas
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
Sites and areas
- Shuaiba Industrial Zone (Al Ahmadi Governorate)
- Equate petrochemical complex, Shuaiba (joint venture)
Classified areas
- Petrochemical process units
- Polymer and aromatics plants
- Fertiliser plants
Supplier approval · PIC
Supplier registration at PIC
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams. The Ex certificate and an organisation's own vendor or engineering approval are two separate timelines; SAMS is working towards both and holds neither today.
Field notes · PIC
More about PIC that matters for portable equipment
PIC: background
Kuwait's first chemical fertiliser complex began operating in the Shuaiba Industrial Zone in 1967, and manufacturing capacity there was expanded through the 1970s with a further fertiliser plant.
PIC: projects and investment
The Kuwait Olefins Company was formed in 2008 between PIC and Dow with equal 42.5 per cent shares, adding an olefins and derivatives train to the Shuaiba industrial area.
PIC: industry on the ground
Kuwait Aromatics Company is owned by PIC, KNPC and Qurain, and its paraxylene unit makes about 829,000 tonnes a year plus benzene and heavy aromatics, giving flammable-liquid handling across the Shuaiba complex.
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 PIC. PIC works through joint ventures and with international licensors and contractors, who tend to hold IECEx documents. Reviewers would look for a certificate of conformity and its schedule of conditions. IECEx is a target for the IS-04Z1 and remains in progress, so treat it as a planned route and not an approval already held.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx mobile phone for PIC
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 · PIC
Frequently asked questions
Can PIC buy the IS-04Z1 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 an IECEx mobile phone for PIC cost?
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.
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.
How does PIC approve suppliers?
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
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.
Do PIC joint ventures register suppliers separately?
Often yes. EQUATE and the other joint ventures run their own plants and procurement, while PIC itself is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary with its own vendor process. Check with each company's procurement team, as registration with one organisation does not normally entitle you to bid with the others.
What hazardous-area conditions do petrochemical units at Shuaiba usually involve?
Aromatics, olefins and styrene units handle flammable liquids and gases, so Zone 1 and Zone 2 areas with gas groups IIA to IIB, and in some cases IIC, are typical. Dusty polymer and fertiliser handling can add Zone 21 or 22 areas. Always request the classification drawing for the specific unit.
Are fertiliser plants treated like petrochemical plants for hazardous areas?
Not necessarily. Fertiliser plants can have different gases and dusts from polymer or aromatics units, and the operator's classification decides. The IS-04Z1 targets gas atmospheres only. Ask PIC's HSE team for the area drawings and the substances involved before judging any device.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on PIC, and on other places in Kuwait.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PICSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for EQUATEElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KNPCElsewhere in Kuwait
Kuwait market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for KuwaitEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · PIC
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for PIC, Kuwait
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · PIC
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for PIC?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.