Saudi Aramco: industry on the ground
In 2024 Aramco's oil and gas production totalled 12.7 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, and its headquarters are in Dhahran in the Eastern Province.
Saudi Aramco · IECEx
IECEx Mobile Phone for Saudi Aramco
The Saudi government took a one-quarter share of Aramco's assets in 1973, raised it to sixty per cent in 1974, and the company was fully managed by the Kingdom from 1988 onward. Its facilities include Ghawar, Safaniya, Abqaiq, Ras Tanura, Jubail and Yanbu. This page explains what to look for in an IECEx mobile phone for Saudi Aramco, 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
WhereSaudi Aramco
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Saudi Aramco: 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 Saudi Aramco
| 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 | Saudi Aramco: Export terminals, Oil and gas fields, Gas processing | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia. 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 · Saudi Aramco
Working with Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco): 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
- Jubail
- Yanbu
- Ghawar
- Safaniya (offshore)
Classified areas
- Export terminals
- Oil and gas fields
- Gas processing
- Refinery process units
Supplier approval · Saudi Aramco
Supplier registration at Saudi Aramco
Aramco requires suppliers to register through its e-Marketplace Platform, handled by its Dhahran office for Saudi-based and many regional suppliers; registration and qualification do not guarantee business. 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 · Saudi Aramco
More about Saudi Aramco that matters for portable equipment
Saudi Aramco: who works there
Aramco's joint ventures and affiliates include SATORP, Petro Rabigh, Yasref, SASREF and Luberef, and it holds a 70 per cent share of SABIC, so refining and chemicals sit beside upstream work.
Saudi Aramco: background
Dammam No. 7 struck oil in 1938 and became the first commercial oil well in Saudi Arabia, starting the development of the Eastern Province fields that Aramco still runs.
Saudi Aramco: industry on the ground
Aramco manages more than one hundred oil and gas fields in Saudi Arabia, including the Ghawar field in the Eastern Province, and had gas reserves of 288.4 trillion standard cubic feet.
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 Saudi Aramco. Aramco works with international operators, EPCs and service companies from Ghawar to Ras Tanura. IECEx is a familiar reference for them. A reviewer should read the certificate of conformity and the schedule of conditions together. The IS-04Z1 is designed for IECEx, but certification is still in progress.
The route · specification
Specifying an IECEx mobile phone for Saudi Aramco
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 · Saudi Aramco
Frequently asked questions
Can Saudi Aramco 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 Saudi Aramco 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.
How does Saudi Aramco approve suppliers?
Aramco requires suppliers to register through its e-Marketplace Platform, handled by its Dhahran office for Saudi-based and many regional suppliers; registration and qualification do not guarantee business.
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.
How do Aramco joint ventures such as SATORP or Petro Rabigh differ?
These ventures are run as separate companies with their own site HSE rules and supplier lists, although they often follow Aramco-derived specifications. Confirm with the specific joint venture's procurement and HSE teams, because approval at Aramco does not automatically give access to its affiliates.
Which Aramco locations typically involve Zone 1 areas?
Typically wellsites, gas-oil separation plants, gas processing plants, refineries, tank farms and loading terminals, and offshore platforms. Aramco classifies every facility under its own engineering standards, so request the hazardous-area drawing and the gas group and temperature class before choosing a phone or tablet.
Could the phone be used on offshore platforms such as Safaniya?
Only if the final certificate, gas group and temperature class suit the platform area and the operator permits it. The IS-04Z1 is designed for intrinsically safe handheld use with IP68 protection, but no certificate has been issued. Offshore connectivity and charging need planning too.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Saudi Aramco and for Saudi Arabia.
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for Ma'adenElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for SABICElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Saudi Aramco
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
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 · Saudi Aramco
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Saudi Aramco?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.