Qatar: background
Mesaieed was established in 1949 as a tanker terminal and was Qatar's only deepwater port for more than 20 years; it is 36 km south of Doha.
Ras Laffan Industrial City, 80 km north of Doha, is Qatar's main site for liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquids, hosting Pearl GTL, ORYX GTL, QatarEnergy LNG plants and the Laffan Refinery. Launch is Q4 2026, so today we can share the specification, the certification schedule and an evaluation unit. This page sets out how an intrinsically safe smartphone supply route to Qatar will work for the IS-04Z1, and what is and is not available before launch.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. An intrinsically safe smartphone for Qatar 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. 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 | Qatar: Halul Island, Al-Shaheen, Ras Laffan Industrial City | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Qatar. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Qatar market guide covers.
Mesaieed was established in 1949 as a tanker terminal and was Qatar's only deepwater port for more than 20 years; it is 36 km south of Doha.
More than 80 percent of Qatar's inhabitants live in Doha, while the industrial cities of Ras Laffan, 80 km north, and Mesaieed, 36 km south, are separate sites administered by QatarEnergy.
Qatar's Communications Regulatory Authority issues a certificate of type approval for radio and telecom equipment based on EU and FCC standards, with no local representative and no fixed expiry.
Ras Laffan Port encloses about 4,500 hectares of water and is described as the largest artificial harbour in the world, with the world's largest LNG export facility.
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 Qatar. Panel, field, marine and jetty teams work inside planned industrial cities, and offshore crews reach North Field, Al-Shaheen and Halul Island by helicopter and boat. An intrinsically safe handheld lets the same device log, photograph and communicate on rounds, where spare kit may be a boat ride away.
Nothing can be bought for Qatar 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.
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
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.
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.
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.
The market guide for Qatar covers Ras Laffan Industrial City, Mesaieed Industrial Area, North Field, Dukhan, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Yes. The Communications Regulatory Authority issues a certificate of type approval for telecom equipment, which accepts EU and FCC standards, with no local representative required. Confirm current rules for each model.
Summers often reach 40 degrees Celsius with high coastal humidity, and annual rain is only about 70 millimetres. Choose devices with high ambient temperature ratings and dust protection.
Photography there runs on permit. Android 16 with enterprise management is designed so a telecoms team can disable or restrict the camera and other functions centrally. Agree the policy with the site's security and HSE teams before enrolling any device.
Related guides for Qatar and for Qatar.
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.