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. This page explains what to look for in an industrial smartphone for Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery), and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
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.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ingress protection | IP rating for dust and water | IP68 design |
| Fleet management | EMM and MDM support | Android 16 with EMM and MDM |
| Explosion protection | A separate certificate and marking | In progress; not issued |
| 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 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.
The first archaeological excavations in Abu Dhabi began at Umm Al Nar in 1959, twelve years before the UAE was founded.
“Industrial” describes a phone built for plant conditions: sealed, drop-resistant and manageable at fleet scale through Android Enterprise. It does not by itself mean the phone may enter a classified area. Only a device with a valid explosion-protection certificate and marking may do that.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to be both an industrial Android phone (IP68, 4,000 mAh battery, 50 MP camera, Android 16 with EMM and MDM support) and an intrinsically safe one. Its explosion-protection certificates are in progress and have not been issued.
In Umm Al Nar (former ADNOC refinery). A demolition and relocation programme brings many short-term contractors onto one island, so enrolment in an MDM or EMM system matters more than a permanent fleet. Handsets would need to be provisioned for crews, collected at the end of a package, and charged in safe areas outside any residual classified zone before work starts.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
Yes by design: IP68 sealing, a 4,000 mAh battery, a 50 MP camera and Android 16 with EMM and MDM support. The explosion-protection certificates are separate and still in progress.
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.
Other guides for Umm Al Nar Refinery, other places in United Arab Emirates, and the pages behind them.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.