Saudi Aramco: projects and investment
In 2001 the Gas Initiative proposed three joint ventures with international oil companies for gas exploration, including South Ghawar and the northern Rub' Al-Khali, Red Sea and Shaybah areas.
Saudi Aramco · intrinsically safe
Intrinsically Safe Smartphone Supplier for Saudi Aramco
Saudi Aramco is the Saudi state-controlled energy company, operating onshore and offshore oil and gas fields, gas systems, refining and chemicals. In 2024 Aramco's oil and gas production totalled 12.7 million barrels of oil equivalent a day, and its headquarters are in Dhahran in the Eastern Province. This page sets out how an intrinsically safe smartphone supply route to Saudi Aramco 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
WhereSaudi Aramco
Short answer. An intrinsically safe smartphone for Saudi Aramco 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.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned 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 Saudi Aramco
| 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 | Saudi Aramco: Export terminals, Oil and gas fields, Gas processing | 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 · Saudi Aramco
Working with Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco): sites and classified areas
The main sites and the hazardous-area types a portable device is likely to meet at this organisation.
Sites and areas
- Abqaiq
- Ras Tanura
- Jubail
- Yanbu
Classified areas
- Export terminals
- Oil and gas fields
- Gas processing
- Refinery process units
Supplier approval · Saudi Aramco
Supplier registration at Saudi Aramco
Aramco requires suppliers to register through its e-Marketplace Platform, handled by its Dhahran office for Saudi-based and many regional suppliers; registration and qualification do not guarantee business. 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 · Saudi Aramco
More about Saudi Aramco that matters for portable equipment
Saudi Aramco: who works there
Aramco's joint ventures and affiliates include SATORP, Petro Rabigh, Yasref, SASREF and Luberef, and it holds a 70 per cent share of SABIC, so refining and chemicals sit beside upstream work.
Saudi Aramco: background
Dammam No. 7 struck oil in 1938 and became the first commercial oil well in Saudi Arabia, starting the development of the Eastern Province fields that Aramco still runs.
Saudi Aramco: who works there
The Saudi government took a one-quarter share of Aramco's assets in 1973, raised it to sixty per cent in 1974, and the company was fully managed by the Kingdom from 1988 onward.
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 Saudi Aramco. Rounds at oil and gas fields such as Ghawar, offshore platforms like Safaniya, and export terminals involve long travel and demanding inspection routes. A handheld designed for intrinsic safety could log readings, take photos and place calls in classified spots if its certificate permits. Permit regimes at Aramco sites belong to Aramco.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for Saudi Aramco
Nothing can be bought for Saudi Aramco today: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, and SAMS will supply end users through authorised distributors once certificates exist. What a buyer can do now is take the specification, ask for the written certification schedule and arrange a safe-area evaluation, so that the right local channel contacts you at launch.
- 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 · Saudi Aramco
Frequently asked questions
Can Saudi Aramco 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 Saudi Aramco cost?
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated 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.
How does Saudi Aramco approve suppliers?
Aramco requires suppliers to register through its e-Marketplace Platform, handled by its Dhahran office for Saudi-based and many regional suppliers; registration and qualification do not guarantee business.
How will SAMS supply Saudi Aramco?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Does Aramco publish its own standards for equipment in hazardous areas?
Aramco is known to apply its own engineering standards, which typically reference IEC and other international standards, and uses its own approved-supplier and materials systems. Check the current requirements and registration steps directly with Aramco's procurement and loss prevention teams rather than relying on general guidance.
What operating conditions should I assume across Aramco sites?
Conditions vary widely: hot humid Gulf coast plants, offshore platforms with salt air, and inland desert sites with dust and extreme summer heat. Check ingress protection, temperature range, corrosion resistance and battery life in heat, and confirm site-specific conditions with the Aramco asset or contractor.
How do suppliers register with Aramco?
The sheet states that Aramco requires suppliers to register through its e-Marketplace Platform, handled by its Dhahran office for Saudi-based and many regional suppliers. Registration and qualification do not guarantee business. Confirm current steps with Aramco's supplier team. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and has no certificate.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Saudi Aramco and for Saudi Arabia.
IECEx Mobile Phone for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Supplier for Saudi AramcoSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for Ma'adenElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier for SABICElsewhere in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for Saudi ArabiaEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Saudi Aramco
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Enquiry · Saudi Aramco
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Saudi Aramco?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.