Saudi Arabia: infrastructure
The Ju'aymah Gas Plant at Ras Tanura is recognised as the world's largest natural gas liquids fractionation plant.
The IS-04Z1 is a Zone 1 and Zone 21 handset for people who work inside classified areas in the Kingdom: field operators, maintenance and inspection engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. This page sets out how a rugged smartphone supply route to Saudi Arabia 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. A rugged smartphone for Saudi Arabia 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. 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 | Saudi Arabia: Khurais, Fadhili, Abqaiq | Classified by the site operator |

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.
The classified areas, operators and sites below are the ones covered in the SAMS Saudi Arabia market guide.
The Ju'aymah Gas Plant at Ras Tanura is recognised as the world's largest natural gas liquids fractionation plant.
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission issues type approval certificates valid for two years, with no local representative required; Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization safety certification needs a local representative.
Jubail Industrial City was designated in 1975 and is home to SABIC, while Jubail has a population of about 475,000 as of 2022.
Ras Tanura is served by King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and a private Aramco airport, and a two-lane road joins the Dhahran to Jubail Highway, with a bridge to Safwa.
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 Saudi Arabia. Summer heat, dust after a shamal, glare and gloved hands set the practical test for a Saudi handset. IP68 sealing and a rugged build, with a display meant for outdoor use, are aimed at those conditions. IP68 is an ingress rating and does not by itself provide explosion protection.
There is no stock to order for Saudi Arabia 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.
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 yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
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.
The market guide for Saudi Arabia covers Abqaiq, Ras Tanura, Ghawar, Shaybah, 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.
King Fahd International Airport in Dammam serves Ras Tanura and the wider Eastern Province, and the Dhahran to Jubail Highway links the main coastal sites, so most visits start from Dammam with road transfers arranged by the host.
The Communications, Space and Technology Commission issues a type approval valid for two years, and Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization certification applies for safety and conformity. SASO needs a local representative. Confirm current requirements per model.
The design targets heat, humidity and dust with a rugged build and IP68 sealing. The T4 target and the certified ambient range are what matter, and they will be published with the datasheet and certificate. Confirm both against the highest ambient temperature at your plant before specifying.
Other guides for Saudi Arabia, other places in Saudi Arabia, and the pages behind them.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.