Where hazardous-area demand sits
ADNOC says its downstream strategy is focused on the Ruwais refining and petrochemical complex, so buyers targeting refinery work should look there rather than at Umm Al Nar.
The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi has run three seasons of fieldwork at the island since 2020, so archaeology and industrial clearance can overlap in time. ADNOC shut it in 2022 and focused its downstream refining and petrochemicals strategy on Ruwais, so current Zone 1 work is elsewhere. If you are specifying an IECEx smartphone for Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery), this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery): pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. 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.
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
ADNOC says its downstream strategy is focused on the Ruwais refining and petrochemical complex, so buyers targeting refinery work should look there rather than at Umm Al Nar.
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.
The first archaeological excavations in Abu Dhabi began at Umm Al Nar in 1959, twelve years before the UAE was founded.
UAE handsets need type approval from the federal Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and any remaining fuel or gas facility nearby will set its own device rules.
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.
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 short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The island is reached across a bridge restricted to pass holders. It also holds a protected archaeological site between a refinery and a sensitive military area, so public access is prohibited. Contractors need a pass arranged through the site owner or main contractor.
Possibly limited. The former refinery was shut in 2022, so current work is mainly decommissioning, clearance and site works, which can still involve residual hydrocarbons and gas-freeing. Confirm the current status and rules with the site owner before specifying devices.
ADNOC states that the refinery stopped operating in 2022 and the land is being redeveloped. Some clearance and demolition activity may involve residual classified areas, but live refinery work has moved on. Confirm with the site operator what classification, if any, still applies to a given work package.
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.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.