Area Code 16 – Al-Swedaa

Overview of Syria's +963 16 Geographic Code

The country calling code +963 is assigned to the Syrian Arab Republic under the ITU-T E.164 international numbering plan. Within Syria, the national destination code (NDC) 16 designates a geographic area covering the Al-Swedaa Governorate (also spelled As-Suwayda or Sweida). This code is used for fixed-line PSTN services, and calls to numbers beginning with +963 16 are routed to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) infrastructure in that specific governorate.

Geographic Coverage and Administrative Jurisdiction

Al-Swedaa is a governorate located in southern Syria, bordered by Daraa to the west, Rif Dimashq to the north, and Jordan to the south. The administrative capital is the city of As-Suwayda, which is the largest urban center in the region. The area code 16 covers the entire governorate, including the city of As-Suwayda and its surrounding towns and villages. The region is known for its Druze community and agricultural production, particularly grapes and olives.

Dialing Formats

When calling a fixed-line number in Al-Swedaa from within Syria, the national trunk prefix 0 is used, followed by the area code and the subscriber number. The local number length typically varies between 6 and 7 digits. The full national format is: 0 16 X XX XX XX (or fewer digits depending on the subscriber line).

For international callers, the format is: +963 16 X XX XX XX. For example, if a local number is 1234567, you would dial +963 16 1234567 from abroad. It is important to omit the leading '0' when dialing from outside Syria.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

As of the latest ITU-T operational bulletin, Syria has not implemented overlay codes for the 16 area. The numbering plan is closed, meaning that the area code is mandatory for all calls, even local calls within the same governorate. This is a common practice in many countries to facilitate number portability and routing efficiency.

Caller Instructions

For local callers within Al-Swedaa: Even if you are calling a number in the same city, you must dial the full national number, including the trunk prefix and area code: 0 16 [subscriber number].

For international callers: Dial your country's international access code (e.g., 011 from the US, 00 from most European countries), then the Syrian country code 963, followed by the area code 16 (without the leading zero) and the subscriber number.

For example, to call a number 2345678 in As-Suwayda from the United States, you would dial: 011 963 16 2345678.

Always verify the current number length and dialing rules with your telecom provider, as numbering plans can be updated.