Climate
Desert marine climate; Zirku Island summer temperatures are typically 35 to 45 degrees C with high humidity.
The UAE's main offshore oil and gas fields lie in the Arabian Gulf off Abu Dhabi. Upper Zakum lies about 84 km north-west of the Abu Dhabi islands, so it is a boat or helicopter journey from the mainland. An intrinsically safe mobile phone distributor in UAE offshore fields would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. UAE offshore fields 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 | UAE offshore fields: Platform and subsea pipelines, Marine loading terminals, Offshore production platforms and islands | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in UAE Offshore. 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.
Desert marine climate; Zirku Island summer temperatures are typically 35 to 45 degrees C with high humidity.
ADNOC owns Upper Zakum, with ExxonMobil holding 28 per cent and JODCO 12 per cent.
UAE phones need federal type approval from the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, and offshore operators may add their own device rules on top.
ADNOC plans facilities to sustain production through 2030 on five islands: Zirku, Asseifiya, Umm Al Anbar, Al Ghallan and Ettouk.
Upper and Lower Zakum together hold around 50 billion barrels of oil in place and form the second largest offshore oilfield in the world.
Abu Dhabi's first offshore drilling platform was established at Umm Shaif in 1958, and the first crude export left Das Island in 1962.
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 UAE offshore fields. Rotating crews on platforms and islands do rounds across production, pipelines and loading areas in tight, congested spaces. A handheld intrinsically safe device lets an operator log readings and photograph equipment in classified areas without leaving the platform, which the IS-04Z1 is designed for.
A distributor for UAE offshore fields 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.
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.
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 offshore production platforms and islands, island processing and terminals, platform and subsea pipelines, marine loading terminals. 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 UAE offshore fields.
Upper Zakum is about 84 km north-west of the Abu Dhabi islands, and operations are based on islands such as Zirku and Das. Access is by boat or helicopter under the operator's control, so plan transit time and baggage limits for equipment.
Often the same standards apply, but offshore and island sites usually add stricter controls on ignition sources, wireless devices and marine transport. Approval is decided by the operator, so ask for its current equipment, certification and wireless policy before shipping devices.
Offshore crews rotate and sites are reached by sea and air under operator control. A phone would normally be enrolled in the employer's or operator's EMM or MDM. The IS-04Z1 is designed for EMM/MDM. Ask the operator how devices are issued, charged and handed over.
Related guides for UAE Offshore and for United Arab Emirates.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.