Closed in 2022
ADNOC states the refinery was shut down with zero flaring in 2022, and the land has since been repurposed to suit Abu Dhabi's future needs.
Umm Al Nar Island in Abu Dhabi hosted the UAE's first refinery, inaugurated in 1976, which processed up to 85,000 barrels a day at its peak. ADNOC shut it in 2022 and focused its downstream refining and petrochemicals strategy on Ruwais, so current Zone 1 work is elsewhere. An IECEx smartphone distributor in Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery) would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery) 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.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. 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 | Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery): Decommissioned refinery process units (former), Site clearance and demolition works, Relocated process units being reassembled elsewhere in the UAE | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Umm Al Nar Refinery. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
ADNOC states the refinery was shut down with zero flaring in 2022, and the land has since been repurposed to suit Abu Dhabi's future needs.
ADNOC says the refinery's processing units are being refurbished and reassembled at a location within the UAE, where more than 240 specialist staff will be employed.
The island gave its name to the Umm Al Nar Bronze Age culture of about 2600 to 2000 BCE, so it is better known archaeologically than as a refinery site.
The protected archaeological site is fenced by a concrete wall of about 1,760 m, and it lies between a refinery and a sensitive military area, so works near it face heritage constraints.
Access to the island is across a bridge and is restricted to pass holders, so any clearance or demolition crews need site passes arranged in advance.
Umm Al Nar island lies next to the city of Abu Dhabi and has been enlarged by land reclamation and dredging, so the current shoreline differs from the original.
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 Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery). The international scheme matters here because refinery equipment from Umm Al Nar is being refurbished and reassembled at another UAE location, and the project teams involved are likely to be international. SAMS would aim to supply a certificate of conformity and schedule of conditions, which are in progress, so that reviewers can check use limits.
A distributor for Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery) would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
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.
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.
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
Likely candidates are decommissioned refinery process units (former), site clearance and demolition works, relocated process units being reassembled elsewhere in the uae. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
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 Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery).
The archaeological site is protected and fenced by a concrete wall of about 1,760 m, and archaeological fieldwork has continued since 2020. Works near it typically need approval and exclusion zones; confirm requirements with the site owner and the authority responsible for heritage.
Refining is concentrated at Ruwais, about 240 km west of the city, where process units, tank farms and jetties operate. For equipment buyers, Ruwais is the relevant site, while the older Umm Al Nar island is mostly a decommissioned and heritage-sensitive location.
ADNOC describes its downstream refining and petrochemicals as concentrated at Ruwais in the Al Dhafra region, and refinery units from Umm Al Nar are being reassembled at another UAE location. A buyer should ask the relevant ADNOC contractor which site the equipment will serve before specifying anything.
Related guides for Umm Al Nar Refinery and for United Arab Emirates.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.