Area Code 1169 – Addis Ababa

Overview of +251 1169

The country calling code +251 is assigned to Ethiopia under the ITU-T E.164 international numbering plan. The national destination code (NDC) 1169 is a geographic allocation for the capital city, Addis Ababa. Specifically, the prefix 1169 is part of the 11xx range designated for fixed-line services within the Addis Ababa metropolitan area. This code is used for traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines, as well as some fixed wireless and VoIP-based local services that are registered to the capital.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

Addis Ababa is a chartered city and the federal capital of Ethiopia, holding special administrative status. The 1169 prefix covers the central business district and surrounding residential and commercial zones within the city's administrative boundaries. It does not extend to the surrounding Oromia Special Zone or other regional towns, which have their own distinct area codes. For example, numbers in Addis Ababa typically begin with +251 11, followed by a two-digit exchange code and a four-digit subscriber number, making the total national significant number (NSN) length 9 digits (excluding the leading trunk prefix 0).

Dialing Formats and Instructions

When dialing a number with the 1169 prefix, the format depends on the caller's location:

• Local calls within Ethiopia: Dial the trunk prefix 0 followed by the NDC and subscriber number. For example, to call a landline in Addis Ababa with the number 1169 1234, you would dial 01169 1234 from within Ethiopia.
• International calls from abroad: Dial the international access prefix (e.g., 00 or +) followed by the country code 251, then the NDC without the leading 0, and the subscriber number. For instance, from the United States, you would dial 011 251 1169 1234 or +251 1169 1234 from a mobile phone.

It is crucial to drop the leading 0 when dialing from outside Ethiopia. The same number would be formatted as +251 1169 1234 in international notation.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Addis Ababa has multiple exchange codes under the 11xx range, and 1169 is one of them. There is no overlay code for this area; the 11xx range is exclusively used for the capital. However, due to the growth of mobile and VoIP services, some fixed-line numbers may be routed over IP networks, but the geographic significance remains for regulatory and emergency services. Callers should note that while mobile numbers in Ethiopia also begin with +251 9 or +251 7, the 1169 prefix is strictly for fixed-line services and is not portable to mobile networks under current regulations.