Established industrial city
Al Rusayl Industrial City dates from 1983 and preceded the creation of Madayn in 1993, the body that now manages Oman's industrial cities.
Muscat is Oman's capital. TRA type approval in Oman is valid for four years, and a local representative and compliance mark are required. An intrinsically safe mobile phone distributor in Muscat would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Muscat 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.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | ia, ib or ic matched to the zone | ib, for Zone 1 |
| Entity parameters | Uo, Io and Po within the device limits | Published with the certificate |
| Accessories | Chargers and cases certified with the device | Defined at certification |
| Where it applies | Muscat: Refinery process units, Crude export and fuel storage, Industrial city factories using solvents or gases | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Muscat. 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.
Al Rusayl Industrial City dates from 1983 and preceded the creation of Madayn in 1993, the body that now manages Oman's industrial cities.
Crude oil and refinery products are loaded onto tankers off Mina Al Fahal by subsea pipeline and single buoy moorings.
The city has a hot arid climate with about 10 centimetres of rain a year, falling mostly from December to April.
The Muscat Governorate had a population of 1.72 million in 2022, and the metropolitan area spans about 6,500 square kilometres, making it Oman's main hub for contractors and head offices.
Petroleum Development Oman, the leading exploration and production company, is owned 60 percent by the government and found its first economic oil in 1962.
Tropical cyclones Gonu in 2007 and Phet in 2010 brought strong winds and heavy rain to Muscat in June, so tropical storms are a planning consideration.
Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in a circuit so that neither a spark nor a hot surface can ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even when a fault occurs. The ib level, used for Zone 1, tolerates one fault. It is the usual way to make a handheld device that a worker carries continuously through a hazardous area.
The IS-04Z1 is designed on this principle for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4). Intrinsic safety is a design basis, not a certificate: certification is in progress and none has been issued yet.
In Muscat. Inspection crews at Mina Al Fahal move between process units, crude export and fuel storage, and at Al Rusayl between factory areas that use solvents or gases. An intrinsically safe handheld lets them keep photos, readings and permits in one device. That is the design aim of the IS-04Z1, subject to certification.
A distributor for Muscat 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.
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.
The circuits are designed to limit energy so a spark or hot surface cannot ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even with one fault (level ib, Zone 1). Certification of that design is in progress.
Likely candidates are refinery process units, crude export and fuel storage, industrial city factories using solvents or gases. 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 Muscat.
Petroleum Development Oman, owned 60 percent by the government with Shell, TotalEnergies and Partex as shareholders. It has its own contractor registration and HSE approval.
Mainly at Mina Al Fahal on the coast, at the refinery and oil company base, and at Al Rusayl Industrial City outside the city. The rest of the city is mostly commercial or residential.
Madayn manages Al Rusayl Industrial City, but each occupier classifies its own areas and sets its own rules. Ask the specific factory or operator what it requires for portable devices. Confirm details with the site operator.
Related guides for Muscat and for Oman.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.