We live today in a strange world of rapid and accelerating changes. Survival is the lot of those able to be innovative and those who are able to keep up with changes. Our world could be full of illogical things but its beauty lies in its ability to innovate. Can you believe that the largest transportation company (Uber) does not own one single car, the largest hotel and lodging company (Airbnb) does not have a single room and the largest online video site (YouTube) has not produced a single video? These rapid changes have changed the rules of the game. States and companies have been founded and others have disappeared. The same holds true for some professions that have existed for centuries. Today, some of these professions might disappear. For example, the postman is being threatened with disappearance because of the spread of technology and courier companies. And then there is the carpenter. Machines can today do this job. Moreover, people have become more aware of the danger of cutting wood and how this negatively affects the environment. The third job is the flight attendant. Many airlines are facing financial crises and are working on reducing the number of flight attendants and increasing their dependency on technology. Then there are librarians. Many studies show that librarians live the longest because they spend most of their time reading books. Unfortunately, this profession will disappear because of electronic books and electronic libraries. People today use cutting-edge technology to find books in online libraries. Travel agents may also disappear. We have numerous online websites such as Booking.com and Airbnb.com that can help with making travel reservations easily and within minutes. Tax collectors may also be on the way out. Technology has saved governments millions of dollars and allowed them to lay off thousands of tax collectors. Tax collection is today performed online. People can calculate their annual incomes and deduct tax electronically. Then there are newspaper staff. Some studies say that print newspapers will totally disappear in the Kingdom by 2034. This means that thousands of reporters and newspaper staff may lose their jobs. And what about officials at government agencies? Most governments have transformed their bureaucratic systems into smart electronic ones. There is no need for lazy clerks who spend most of their time solving crossword puzzles. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid said: "We want a smart and active government that works seven days a week and 24 hours a day." Government officials who cannot keep up with these rapid changes will end up jobless.
