Climate
Extreme heat and humidity; the highest wet-bulb temperature on record from a reputable weather station, 36.3 degrees C, was measured at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.
Ras Al Khaimah is the northernmost emirate of the UAE and an industrial port city, home to RAK Ceramics, Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar), RAK Ports and the RAKEZ economic zone. Hazardous-area work is smaller in scale than in Abu Dhabi and arises mainly from fuel gas, solvents and dust. A rugged mobile phone distributor in Ras Al Khaimah would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Ras Al Khaimah 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. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ingress protection | IP65 to IP68 sealing | IP68 design |
| Drop and shock | A stated drop height onto concrete | Specification on request |
| Explosion protection | A separate certificate and marking | In progress; not issued |
| Where it applies | Ras Al Khaimah: Kiln fuel gas supply and powder handling (Zone 21), Gas distribution networks, Port fuel and bulk-cargo handling | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Ras Al Khaimah. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
A short profile of the site and the kinds of classified area that matter for portable equipment.
Extreme heat and humidity; the highest wet-bulb temperature on record from a reputable weather station, 36.3 degrees C, was measured at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.
RAK Ports operates Saqr Port, Ras Al Khaimah Port, Al Jazeera Port and Al Jeer Port, with services including bulk cargo, container cargo, warehousing and ship repair.
UAE mobile phones need type approval from the federal regulator, which accepts European documents; certificates are renewed every three years and a valid supplier register is needed.
RAKEZ is reported to support more than 50 sectors, so hazard profiles range from food and chemicals to metals and building materials rather than one dominant process.
A creek divides the city into the old town in the west and Al Nakheel in the east, so road routes between industrial and residential areas can be indirect.
Ras Al Khaimah International Airport serves the emirate, giving a direct entry point for visiting engineers without a transfer through Dubai.
A rugged phone is built to survive water, dust, drops and rough handling, usually rated by an IP code and a drop specification. Ruggedness is an environmental property: it says nothing about whether a phone may be used where flammable gas or dust is present. That is decided by explosion-protection certification and marking.
The IS-04Z1 combines both: an IP68 sealed rugged build and a design for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4). The explosion-protection certificates are in progress and none has been issued.
In Ras Al Khaimah. The climate is extremely hot and humid, and the region has recorded one of the highest wet-bulb temperatures in the Middle East. Outdoor work needs heat-aware planning. IP68 helps with dust and water, but it is not explosion protection, which depends on the Ex marking and certificate.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Ras Al Khaimah yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
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.
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.
It is designed to IP68 sealing, with glove-friendly controls. Ruggedness is not explosion protection: that depends on the certificates, which are in progress.
Likely candidates are port fuel and bulk-cargo handling, pharmaceutical solvent areas, kiln fuel gas supply and powder handling (zone 21), gas distribution networks. 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 Ras Al Khaimah.
They can. Kilns and dryers use fuel gas, which may need gas classification around supply points, and tile powders can create dust, which operators assess separately. RAK Ceramics is a large local example; classification is plant-specific, so request the site's documents.
Yes. Ras Al Khaimah International Airport serves the emirate, so visitors do not have to land in Dubai, although many do and drive. Check current flight schedules and the client's access rules; ask about equipment import paperwork too.
It depends on what the site handles. Port fuel, pharmaceutical solvents and kiln fuel or powder areas may be classified, while offices are not. The operator classifies its own areas. Ask the site's HSE officer whether any area you visit is classified before choosing a device.
More on Ras Al Khaimah, and on other places in United Arab Emirates.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.