Area Code 1126 – Addis Ababa

Overview of Area Code 1126 (Addis Ababa)

Area code 1126 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) assigned to the central part of Addis Ababa, the capital and largest city of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Under the ITU-T E.164 international numbering plan, the full international dialing format for a fixed-line subscriber in this zone is +251 1126 XXX XX, where +251 is the country calling code for Ethiopia, 1126 is the NDC, and the remaining digits constitute the subscriber number. Within Ethiopia, callers dial 01126 XXX XX (omitting the leading +251). This code is part of the 011xx series used for the Greater Addis Ababa metropolitan area, which includes several adjacent districts and business hubs.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The 1126 code specifically serves the central business district and surrounding residential and administrative zones of Addis Ababa, including areas such as Piazza, Arada, Sidist Kilo, and parts of the Bole sub-city that are closer to the city center. Addis Ababa is a chartered city with its own charter status, functioning as both a city and a state (kilil) in Ethiopia's federal structure. The Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC), now operating as Ethio Telecom, is the primary fixed-line service provider, and it manages the allocation of geographic codes under the regulatory oversight of the Ethiopian Communications Authority (ECA).

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

• Local calls (within Addis Ababa): Dial 01126 XXX XX – the trunk prefix 0 followed by the NDC and subscriber number.
• Calls from other regions in Ethiopia: Dial 01126 XXX XX – same as local, as Ethiopia uses a single national trunk prefix.
• International calls from abroad: Dial +251 1126 XXX XX – replace the leading 0 with +251.

For example, a landline number in this area might be +251 1126 12345. When calling from the United States, you would dial 011 251 1126 12345; from the UK, 00 251 1126 12345.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Addis Ababa has multiple NDCs (e.g., 1111, 1112, 1126, etc.) to accommodate the high demand for fixed-line services. There is no overlay code for 1126; each geographic area retains its own NDC. However, number portability is not yet widely implemented for fixed lines in Ethiopia, so subscribers generally retain their numbers only when moving within the same exchange area. As the country expands its fiber-optic network and VoIP services, some businesses may use non-geographic numbers, but 1126 remains strictly tied to the physical location of the line.

Practical Advice for Callers

For international callers, ensure you have the correct country code +251 and drop the initial 0 of the national number. For local callers, always include the 0 when dialing from a mobile phone, as mobile networks require the full national number. Always verify the number length: after +251 1126, there are typically 5 additional digits, making a total of 12 digits in the international format (including +251).