[1] It is as an independently administered research organization directly linked to the rector's office of King Saud University.

[1] The Institute's purpose is to design and conduct scientific research which is related to desert development and to combating desertification in the Arabian Peninsula.

[3] The Institute is a primary sponsor of the International Conference on Water Resources and Arid Environments which has been held biennially in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia since 2004.

[4] The Institute also serves as headquarters for the General Secretariat of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water.

[5] Within the context of the arid environments of the Arabian peninsula, the Institute is interested in pursuing research in the following areas:[6]