Does anyone live in the Negev desert?

Yes, as of 2010, Negev had a population of 630,000 people. According to historians, Negev was a pastoral region in biblical times, it was after the Arab conquest in the 7th century that the land was left desolate for 1,200 years. After the creation of Israel in 1948, the need to develop this area which made up 55% of the country land area was raised, and water was brought to the area through pipelines and conduits.