PIC: projects and investment
In 2026 PIC acquired a 25 per cent stake in Wanhua Petrochemical Group's assets in Yantai, China, creating Wanhua-PIC Petrochemicals, so it now has overseas sites as well as its Kuwait ones.
PIC · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Smartphone Supplier for PIC
Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary producing polymers, aromatics and fertilisers, with more than 60 years of experience and seven joint ventures according to its website. The Kuwait Olefins Company was formed in 2008 between PIC and Dow with equal 42.5 per cent shares, adding an olefins and derivatives train to the Shuaiba industrial area. This page sets out how an intrinsically safe smartphone supply route to PIC will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
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
RouteSupply
WherePIC
Short answer. An intrinsically safe smartphone for PIC cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. 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 smartphone for PIC
| 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 | PIC: Petrochemical process units, Polymer and aromatics plants, Fertiliser plants | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Kuwait
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 Kuwait. 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 · PIC
Petrochemical Industries Company and the IS-04Z1
Where it operates and the kinds of classified area a handset would meet there.
Sites and areas
- Shuaiba Industrial Zone (Al Ahmadi Governorate)
- Equate petrochemical complex, Shuaiba (joint venture)
Classified areas
- Petrochemical process units
- Polymer and aromatics plants
- Fertiliser plants
Supplier approval · PIC
How suppliers reach PIC
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; 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 · PIC
More about PIC that matters for portable equipment
PIC: rules and approvals
PIC is a Kuwait Petroleum Corporation subsidiary, and supplier guides note that KPC companies keep separate vendor databases, so registration with PIC is handled by PIC rather than by a group-wide list.
PIC: background
Kuwait's first chemical fertiliser complex began operating in the Shuaiba Industrial Zone in 1967, and manufacturing capacity there was expanded through the 1970s with a further fertiliser plant.
PIC: industry on the ground
Kuwait Aromatics Company is owned by PIC, KNPC and Qurain, and its paraxylene unit makes about 829,000 tonnes a year plus benzene and heavy aromatics, giving flammable-liquid handling across the Shuaiba complex.
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 PIC. Operators in polymer and aromatics units cover wide plants with many pumps, reactors and storage vessels. A handheld intrinsically safe phone allows tag scanning, photographs and defect reports from inside the classified area. It would suit routine inspection rounds and the shutdown windows when joint-venture partners and contractors share the site.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for PIC
There is no stock to order for PIC yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, certification is in progress, and supply will run through authorised distributors after the certificates are issued. Procurement teams can prepare now with the datasheet, the certification schedule and a safe-area evaluation.
- 01
Request the datasheet
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
- 02
Ask for the certification schedule
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
- 03
Evaluate in a safe area
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
- 04
Register for launch
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
Questions · PIC
Frequently asked questions
Can PIC buy the IS-04Z1 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 smartphone for PIC 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 PIC approve suppliers?
Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself; confirm current requirements with its procurement and HSE teams.
How will SAMS supply PIC?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Is PIC the same as EQUATE for contractor access to the Shuaiba site?
No. EQUATE is a joint venture in which PIC is a shareholder, and it operates the paraxylene, styrene and olefins plants at Shuaiba as one operating company. Contractor induction, permits and equipment rules are therefore normally set by the plant operator concerned, so confirm which company controls the unit you will visit.
Should a phone for PIC sites be certified to ATEX or IECEx?
Operators in Kuwait generally ask for recognised international certification such as IECEx or ATEX, but PIC and its joint ventures decide what they accept. Ask the site HSE or instrumentation team which certificates, gas group and temperature class they require before ordering equipment for a classified area.
Does each PIC joint venture approve equipment separately?
Possibly. Supplier registration and equipment approval are run by the organisation itself, and a joint venture may have its own procurement and HSE rules. Ask each operating company which evidence it needs. The IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet, so share only the datasheet and target marking.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for PIC and for Kuwait.
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for PICSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone for PICSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for EQUATEElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KNPCElsewhere in Kuwait
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for KOCElsewhere in Kuwait
Kuwait market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for KuwaitEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · PIC
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for PIC, Kuwait
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · PIC
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for PIC?
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.