Climate
Hot desert climate with summer temperatures that can exceed 50 C.
Jubail Industrial City covers just over 1,000 square kilometres on the Gulf coast of the Eastern Province and is managed by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, established in 1975. Jubail had 474,679 residents in 2022, making it the third most populous city in the Eastern Province, so a large local workforce and service sector supports the plants. Distribution partners for Jubail Industrial City are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Jubail Industrial City 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.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Jubail Industrial City: Utilities and gas processing, Refinery process units, Petrochemical and chemical plants | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Jubail. 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.
Hot desert climate with summer temperatures that can exceed 50 C.
The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu runs the industrial city; each plant operator sets its own contractor rules.
The Royal Commission's chairman's office is in Riyadh, with separate directorates general in Jubail and Yanbu, so city-level services are run locally while plants set their own rules.
The city hosts what is described as the world's largest independent water and power project, producing about 2,743.6 MW of electricity and 800,000 cubic metres of water a day.
Associated gas from oil extraction is collected and processed by Aramco and piped to Jubail and Yanbu as petrochemical feedstock, so gas-handling and pipeline areas feed the plants.
Dammam's airport terminal is about 60 km by road from the Jubail suburbs, 80 km from the city centre and 100 km from the Royal Commission neighbourhoods.
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 Jubail Industrial City. Rounds across process units, storage and loading terminals, and port bulk handling can be long. A handheld intrinsically safe handset lets an operator log readings, take photos and communicate without leaving the area. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 use of this kind, with a 4,000 mAh battery for extended shifts.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Jubail Industrial City. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
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.
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.
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, petrochemical and chemical plants, storage and loading terminals, port bulk handling. 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 Jubail Industrial City.
Associated gas gathered by Aramco is piped to Jubail and Yanbu as petrochemical feedstock, so plants receive hydrocarbon feed by pipeline. That typically means compressor, metering and storage areas with gas classification; the operator defines the zones, so ask for classification drawings.
The Dammam airport terminal is about 60 km by road from the Jubail suburbs and around 80 km from the city centre. Visiting teams should allow road transfer time and confirm the transport and gate arrangements with the plant they are visiting.
Summer temperatures in Jubail can exceed 50 C, which is demanding for batteries and electronics. Check the datasheet operating range, avoid leaving handsets in vehicles, and ask the operator about any heat restrictions. IP68 helps against dust and splash but says nothing about heat tolerance or ignition protection.
Related guides for Jubail and for 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.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.