Terminal
The oil terminal has North and South Piers and a Sea Islands section.
Ras Tanura · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone in Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura is a peninsula governorate in the Eastern Province hosting Aramco's Ras Tanura Refinery, with a crude distillation capacity of 550,000 barrels a day, and one of the world's largest crude export terminals. Refining, terminal and gas plant areas create Zone 1 conditions. If you are specifying an intrinsically safe mobile phone for Ras Tanura, 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
WhereRas Tanura
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Ras Tanura: 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 Ras Tanura
| 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 | Ras Tanura: Refinery process units, Crude export terminal piers and sea islands, Storage tank farms | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Ras Tanura
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 Ras Tanura. 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 · Ras Tanura
Ras Tanura at a glance: who is there, what is classified
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Operators and companies on site
- Saudi Aramco
Classified areas to expect
- Refinery process units
- Crude export terminal piers and sea islands
- Storage tank farms
- Natural gas liquids fractionation (Ju'aymah)
Local conditions · Ras Tanura
Site conditions at Ras Tanura: what wears and what limits equipment
Wider complex
The governorate also has the Ju'aymah gas plant and the Ghazlan power plant serving Eastern Province industry.
Field notes · Ras Tanura
More about Ras Tanura that matters for portable equipment
Ras Tanura: rules and approvals
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission handles radio type approval; certificates are renewed every two years, with European test documents accepted.
Ras Tanura: background
The refinery was established in 1939 and expanded substantially after the Second World War, so equipment and layouts range from very old to recently modernised.
Ras Tanura: background
The area was officially called Rahima from 1941 until 1986, when the historical name was restored, so older Aramco documents and maps may use the earlier name.
Ras Tanura: logistics and access
The marine complex is described as handling over 2,000 tankers a year, using an artificial island, north and south piers and the Ju'aymah crude terminal.
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 Ras Tanura. Inspection rounds along the piers, around tank farms and through refinery units involve repeated entry into classified areas. A handheld intrinsically safe handset lets an operator or inspector photograph, log and communicate in place. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 rounds of this kind.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe mobile phone for Ras Tanura
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 · Ras Tanura
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an intrinsically safe mobile phone in Ras Tanura today?
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
What does an intrinsically safe mobile phone in Ras Tanura 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 Ras Tanura would use it?
Likely candidates are refinery process units, crude export terminal piers and sea islands, storage tank farms, natural gas liquids fractionation (ju'aymah). 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.
Who sets equipment rules at Ras Tanura?
Saudi Aramco manages and operates the industrial infrastructure, so its safety and approval procedures apply to contractors working on the refinery, terminal and gas plant. Check the current vendor and equipment-approval requirements with the Aramco project owner or the main contractor.
Are Ras Tanura facilities old or new?
Both. The refinery dates from 1939 and has been expanded many times, so older plant sits alongside modern units. For handheld devices, ask for the area classification and equipment group for each unit, since gas groups and temperature classes can differ between old and new areas.
Can a handset be used on the piers and sea islands?
Only if its protection suits the classified area there, and if the operator permits it. The piers and sea islands handle crude, where Aramco classifies the area. Ask Aramco or the site contractor for the zone and the device approval route before any handset goes near a loading point.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Ras Tanura and for Saudi Arabia.
Rugged Mobile Phone in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in Ras TanuraSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in JizanElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in JubailElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in RiyadhElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in YanbuElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Ras Tanura
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · Ras Tanura
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Ras Tanura?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.