Human resources development sees human beings as the means to socioeconomic development. This differs from human development which sees human beings as the immediate and ultimate goals and ends of socio-economic development. Arab states have tended to utilize the human resources development approach as part of their forecasting of manpower requirements and economic growth targets. This paper argues that such an approach is detrimental to the educational processes of these countries because it results in neglect of the needs of a large portion of the population. Basic educational and social needs are lost when educational planning is focused solely on preparing students for rigid and fixed jobs. (DB)