Administration
The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu runs the industrial city; each plant operator sets its own contractor rules.
The city hosts what is described as the world's largest independent water and power project, producing about 2,743.6 MW of electricity and 800,000 cubic metres of water a day. It houses SABIC plants, the SATORP and SASREF refineries and the Sadara chemical complex, so classified areas are widespread. This page explains what to look for in a rugged mobile phone for Jubail Industrial City, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Jubail Industrial City: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. 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 | Jubail Industrial City: Port bulk handling, Utilities and gas processing, Refinery process units | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Jubail. 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.
The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu runs the industrial city; each plant operator sets its own contractor rules.
The city has two seaports, the Jubail Commercial Seaport and the King Fahd Industrial Seaport.
The Royal Commission's chairman's office is in Riyadh, with separate directorates general in Jubail and Yanbu, so city-level services are run locally while plants set their own rules.
Associated gas from oil extraction is collected and processed by Aramco and piped to Jubail and Yanbu as petrochemical feedstock, so gas-handling and pipeline areas feed the plants.
Dammam's airport terminal is about 60 km by road from the Jubail suburbs, 80 km from the city centre and 100 km from the Royal Commission neighbourhoods.
Saudi Arabia's Communications, Space and Technology Commission handles radio type approval, with certificates renewed every two years, and accepts European test documents.
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 Jubail Industrial City. Hot desert climate, with summer temperatures that can exceed 50 C, and a Gulf coastal location make heat and humidity relevant. IP68 on the IS-04Z1 addresses dust and water ingress. It does not provide explosion protection, and the datasheet temperature range should be compared with expected conditions.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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 refinery process units, petrochemical and chemical plants, storage and loading terminals, port bulk handling. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
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.
Many. The Royal Commission plans and runs the industrial city, but chemical, refining, power and port companies operate their own plants under their own safety and permit rules. Equipment approval for handheld devices is usually decided plant by plant.
Gas-fired power and desalination plants usually include fuel-gas supply areas, so some classified zones are likely. The city's independent water and power project is among the largest in the world, so contractor numbers are high; confirm requirements with the specific plant.
Not automatically. Each plant operator sets its own approved-vendor and permit rules, so approval at one plant does not guarantee acceptance at another. Confirm current requirements with the operator or its contractor for each plant. This applies on top of explosion-protection certification.
Other guides for Jubail, other places in Saudi Arabia, and the pages behind them.
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.