Photographic Memory
1980: Switching to computerized telephone lines
Aramco has long worked to keep its employees and dependents connected, even in 1980 with a new computerized phone system.
![1980: Switching to computerized telephone lines](https://www.aramcolife.com/-/media/aramco-life/publications/the-arabian-sun/articles/2020/week-48/photo_memory_phone.jpg?mw=100&hash=2F22B15DB3A4BBF10D8B60C4BE99B316)
Mohammed Humaida, foreman of the Telephone Switching Unit of the Communications Operations Department, inspects some of the recently installed switch equipment at the Dhahran Telephone Exchange. In 1980, a new computerized telephone switch had just been installed in Dhahran to keep pace with the growing community. The telephone switch connected individual lines when a number was dialed. The new system had 14,000 lines, which could expand to 40,000 lines. It replaced a system with 9,500 lines.