Scale
The plants have about 18 crude stabilisation units and stabilise roughly half of Saudi Arabia's daily oil production, according to Aramco.
Abqaiq · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in Abqaiq
Abqaiq is a town in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, about 60 km south-west of the Dhahran-Dammam-Khobar area. It hosts Aramco's Abqaiq Plants, described by Aramco as the world's largest crude stabilisation plant, which removes hydrogen sulphide from crude, creating Zone 1 areas. If you are specifying an intrinsically safe mobile phone for Abqaiq, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topicintrinsically safe
DeviceMobile Phone
RouteSpecification
WhereAbqaiq
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Abqaiq: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe mobile phone for Abqaiq
| 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 | Abqaiq: Crude stabilisation units, Natural gas liquids facility, Utilities units | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Abqaiq
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Abqaiq. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The site · Abqaiq
Abqaiq: where the IS-04Z1 would work
Who operates there and which kinds of classified area a handset would meet, from the SAMS site research.
Operators and companies on site
- Saudi Aramco
Classified areas to expect
- Crude stabilisation units
- Natural gas liquids facility
- Utilities units
- Hydrogen sulphide removal
Local conditions · Abqaiq
What Abqaiq means for portable equipment
Climate
Desert conditions on the edge of the Empty Quarter, with high summer temperatures and dust.
Field notes · Abqaiq
More about Abqaiq that matters for portable equipment
Abqaiq: logistics and access
Abqaiq has a station on the Dammam to Riyadh railway line, and a small Aramco-operated airstrip that is closed to commercial flights.
Abqaiq: people and language
Abqaiq had about 45,000 residents in the 2022 census, of whom roughly 1,500 lived in the Aramco residential community in 2012, so most of the workforce commutes from the wider town.
Abqaiq: rules and approvals
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission issues radio type-approval certificates that are renewed every two years and accepts European test documents, with an e-label option.
Abqaiq: infrastructure
The 1,202 km Petroline crude pipeline, completed in the early 1980s, takes oil from the Abqaiq and Ghawar fields overland to Yanbu on the Red Sea.
The term · intrinsically safe
What “intrinsically safe” means for a smartphone
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 Abqaiq. Operators at Abqaiq walk between crude stabilisation units, utilities units and the gas liquids facility, often under permit. A handheld intrinsically safe handset lets them record readings, take photos and communicate without removing the device from the area. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 rounds of this kind.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe mobile phone for Abqaiq
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Check on the paper
- Marking
- Equipment group, category, protection concept, gas group and temperature class, matched to the area drawing.
- Certificate and schedule
- A certificate number, issuing body and the schedule of conditions, not a brochure claim.
- Standards edition
- The IEC 60079 or national standard edition the certificate was issued against.
Check for the IS-04Z1
- Marking target
- II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4: a target, not yet a certificate.
- Certificate status
- IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 in progress; none issued.
- Operator approval
- Separate from the certificate and handled with the site operator.
Questions · Abqaiq
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an intrinsically safe mobile phone in Abqaiq today?
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.
What does an intrinsically safe mobile phone in Abqaiq cost?
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.
What does ‘intrinsically safe’ mean for the IS-04Z1?
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.
Which areas at Abqaiq would use it?
Likely candidates are crude stabilisation units, natural gas liquids facility, utilities units, hydrogen sulphide removal. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Is intrinsically safe the same as explosion proof?
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.
Do Abqaiq contractors mostly live on site?
Not mostly. The Aramco community numbered about 1,500 people in 2012, while the town had about 45,000 residents in 2022. Many contractors therefore travel in daily or are housed in the wider Eastern Province, so transport, gate and induction timing matter.
Why do Abqaiq rounds involve long distances between units?
The processing complex covers about 250 hectares, and related gathering, pipeline and utility areas lie beyond it. Plan battery capacity for a full shift, and check whether the site provides charging points in safe areas rather than in classified zones.
How would a supplier register to sell to Abqaiq?
Aramco and its contractors normally run supplier registration through Aramco's e-Marketplace Platform, with technical and financial qualification. Requirements change, so confirm current rules with the site operator or the contractor. Registration is a commercial step and is separate from explosion-protection certification of the device.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Abqaiq and for Saudi Arabia.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone Distributor in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone in AbqaiqSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in RiyadhElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in DhahranElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in JubailElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Abqaiq
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Enquiry · Abqaiq
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Abqaiq?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.