Establishing any city, covering it with green spaces, and creating gardens in it is in line with the latest global systems. Accordingly, the idea of ​​transforming King Saud University into a green university came about by developing plans to achieve this goal using the principle of sustainability.

The administration was established in 1399/98 AH under the name (University Campus Nursery and Gardening), in 1404 AH, His Excellency the University President assigned the gardening of the university campus to the gardening Department. Since that date, the name was changed in 1437 AH to the Sustainability and Environmental Development Department, and it is organizationally affiliated with the University Vice President for Projects.