Ma'aden: projects and investment
Saudi Arabia estimates its mineral endowment at about 1.3 trillion US dollars, and Ma'aden is positioned as the national vehicle for exploring and developing it under Vision 2030.
Ma'aden · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Smartphone for Ma'aden
Ma'aden is a Saudi state-owned mining company headquartered in Riyadh, with the Public Investment Fund as majority shareholder. Its aluminium business mines bauxite at Al Ba'itha and smelts and rolls aluminium at Ras Al Khair, producing over 1 million tonnes a year; it also produces phosphate fertiliser, gold and base metals. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe smartphone for Ma'aden, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
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
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSpecification
WhereMa'aden
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Ma'aden: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · intrinsically safe
Checklist: intrinsically safe smartphone for Ma'aden
| 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 | Ma'aden: Alumina refinery and aluminium smelter, Mining and processing sites, Fuel and gas handling | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia. 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 organisation · Ma'aden
Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden) and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Ras Al-Khair
- Wa'ad Al Shamal
- Ba'itha bauxite mine
Classified areas
- Alumina refinery and aluminium smelter
- Mining and processing sites
- Fuel and gas handling
- Ammonia and phosphate fertiliser plants
Supplier approval · Ma'aden
Becoming an approved supplier to Ma'aden
Ma'aden runs its own supplier portal (maaden.com/supplier-portal) where new suppliers create a supplier profile, and contractor manpower is managed through a separate Fieldglass link. Confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams. The Ex certificate and an organisation's own vendor or engineering approval are two separate timelines; SAMS is working towards both and holds neither today.
Field notes · Ma'aden
More about Ma'aden that matters for portable equipment
Ma'aden: background
Ma'aden grew from a single-mine gold producer established in 1997 into a diversified mining and processing group listed on Tadawul, with the Public Investment Fund as its main shareholder.
Ma'aden: industry on the ground
The Wa'ad Al-Shamal phosphate complex in northern Saudi Arabia covers mining, beneficiation, ammonia and phosphoric acid production, and finished diammonium phosphate fertiliser for export.
Ma'aden: industry on the ground
The aluminium chain runs from bauxite mining at Al-Ba'itha through the alumina refinery to the smelter and casthouse at Ras Al-Khair, using the Ma'aden Bauxite and Alumina and Ma'aden Aluminium companies.
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 Ma'aden. Rounds at ammonia, acid and fertiliser plants, and at fuel and gas handling points, involve inspection and checklists in demanding conditions. A handheld designed for intrinsic safety could be used in those classified spots if its certificate allows. Mine and smelter areas that are not classified may not need an Ex device. That is Ma'aden's decision.
The route · specification
Specifying an intrinsically safe smartphone for Ma'aden
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 · Ma'aden
Frequently asked questions
Can Ma'aden buy the IS-04Z1 today?
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.
What does an intrinsically safe smartphone for Ma'aden cost?
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.
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.
How does Ma'aden approve suppliers?
Ma'aden runs its own supplier portal (maaden.com/supplier-portal) where new suppliers create a supplier profile, and contractor manpower is managed through a separate Fieldglass link. Confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
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.
What hazardous areas does a Ma'aden site usually contain?
Fertiliser and aluminium complexes typically include ammonia and acid plants, fuel and gas handling, coal or fuel-fired power units, and fine process dust areas, while mines add diesel storage and blasting-related zones. Ma'aden classifies each facility, so request the area drawing, gas or dust group and temperature class.
Who sets equipment rules at Ma'aden sites?
Ma'aden and its operating subsidiaries set site HSE and electrical rules, and projects are often run through contractors who apply them. Confirm with the relevant Ma'aden business unit's procurement and HSE teams which certificates, supplier registration and permits are needed before you ship equipment.
Are all Ma'aden sites classified hazardous areas?
No. Hazardous classification is limited to the parts of a site where flammable gas, vapour or dust can be present, such as ammonia, acid and fuel and gas handling areas. Ma'aden's engineers decide which areas are classified, so confirm with the site operator. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Ma'aden, and on other places in Saudi Arabia.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier for Ma'adenSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone for Ma'adenSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for Ma'adenSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for Ma'adenSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for SABICElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for Saudi AramcoElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Ma'aden
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Ma'aden, 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 · Ma'aden
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Ma'aden?
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.