Area Code 5386 – Fez/Meknes

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

The Moroccan national destination code (NDC) 5386 is a geographic prefix allocated within the Fez-Meknes numbering plan area. This code serves the administrative region of Fez-Meknes, with its primary concentration in the city of Fez (Fès) and its immediate suburbs. The code is used for fixed-line PSTN services, and it is assigned to the incumbent operator, Maroc Telecom, which historically holds the majority of fixed-line infrastructure in this region. Subscribers under this prefix are physically located within the Fez-Meknes area, and the code is not portable to other geographic regions.

Dialing Formats and Caller Instructions

When dialing a number with the prefix 5386, the format depends on the caller's location:

• Local calls (within Morocco): Dial the full national significant number (NSN) which is 9 digits long, starting with the NDC. For example, a local caller would dial 05386XXXXX (where XXXXX represents the 5-digit subscriber number). Note that the leading '0' is used for domestic calls.
• International calls (from outside Morocco): Dial the country code +212, followed by the NSN without the leading '0'. Thus, the same number would be dialed as +2125386XXXXX.

For instance, if a subscriber's number is 05 38 6X XX XX, a caller from the United States would dial +212 5 38 6X XX XX (the spaces are for readability only).

Overlay and Numbering Plan Considerations

Morocco's fixed-line numbering plan does not currently employ overlays for geographic codes; each geographic region has a unique NDC. The prefix 5386 is part of the larger 538 range, which is assigned to the Fez-Meknes region. The national numbering plan is regulated by the Agence Nationale de Réglementation des Télécommunications (ANRT). As of the latest updates, there are no plans to introduce overlay codes in this area, so the 5386 prefix remains exclusively associated with the Fez-Meknes geographic area.

Practical Guidance for Callers

For local callers within Morocco, it is essential to include the '0' before the NDC when dialing from any phone, including mobile phones. For international callers, always replace the leading '0' with +212. Be aware that while mobile numbers in Morocco are also 9 digits and start with 06 or 07, fixed-line numbers like those under 5386 are not mobile and cannot be reached via SMS. If you are calling a business or residence in Fez or Meknes, verify that the number indeed starts with 05386 to ensure it is a fixed-line number in that region.