Algeria: industry on the ground
A liquid helium plant was tested at the GL1K LNG facility in Skikda in 2006, showing that Algerian LNG sites also handle helium alongside natural gas liquids.
A Zone 1 / Zone 21 smartphone for crews in the Hassi Messaoud and Hassi R'Mel fields, the Saharan gas plants and the LNG, refining and petrochemical complexes at Arzew and Skikda. Buyers searching for an IECEx smartphone supplier for Algeria can take the datasheet and the certification schedule for the IS-04Z1 now; supply follows certification.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. An IECEx smartphone for Algeria cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. 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 | Algeria: Arzew and Bethioua, Oran, Skikda, Hassi Messaoud, Ouargla | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Algeria. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Algeria market guide.
A liquid helium plant was tested at the GL1K LNG facility in Skikda in 2006, showing that Algerian LNG sites also handle helium alongside natural gas liquids.
Certificates are reported to be valid for five years if the device is not modified, take roughly ten weeks to process, and since a March 2026 decree several importers can share one certificate.
Oil was discovered at Hassi Messaoud in 1956, and the town sits 85 kilometres south-east of Ouargla in a thinly populated part of the Sahara.
Algeria spans 2,381,741 square kilometres, making it the largest country in Africa, with the Sahara covering most of the territory and the population concentrated in the fertile, mountainous north.
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 Algeria. In Algeria the IECEx scheme is the common language between Sonatrach, its foreign joint-venture partners such as Eni and TotalEnergies, and the visiting contractors who work for all of them. A reviewer would read the certificate of conformity for the marking and the schedule of conditions for any special conditions of use, before the device is listed for a plant.
Supply of the IS-04Z1 to Algeria starts only after certification, through authorised distributors. Until then a buyer can request the datasheet and the written certification schedule, and arrange a safe-area evaluation unit, which puts the site on the list for the right local channel at launch.
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
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.
The market guide for Algeria covers Hassi Messaoud, Ouargla, Hassi R'Mel, Laghouat, In Amenas, Illizi, In Salah, Tamanrasset, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Providers report about ten weeks for processing and a certificate validity of five years if the device is unchanged, with a March 2026 decree allowing several importers to use one certificate. Treat these as typical figures and confirm the current timing and fees with ARPCE or an agent.
ARPCE is described as the main authority issuing type approval for equipment such as mobile phones and Wi-Fi devices, while ANF handles radio spectrum approvals for devices such as short-range radios. A local representative is needed. Confirm which body applies to your specific device before applying.
The 4,000 mAh battery is sized for a working day, and IP68 sealing is aimed at sand and dust. The certificate will state the ambient range, so check it against southern field summers. Away from camps the carrier signal can be patchy, so the handset falls back to plant Wi-Fi. Verify on a test unit.
Related guides for Algeria and for Algeria.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.