Highway construction in desert areas is of great significance to improving the nodes of transportation networks and developing the economy of remote areas.In order to effectively explore the construction risks of desert highway subgrade engineering，the five aspects of personnel risk，technical risk，material risk，mechanical risk，and environmental risk were analyzed，and 23 indicators affecting the construction risk of desert highway subgrade engineering were screened out by literature research method.Based on the effective data collected by questionnaire survey，a structural equation model （SEM ） of the construction risk of desert highway subgrade engineering was constructed，and the key influencing factors of the construction risk were analyzed.The results show that the construction risk of desert highway subgrade engineering is mainly affected by bad weather，violations of personnel in three aspects，quality of aeolian sand，mechanical repair and maintenance，and technical integrity.Targeted control measures are also proposed to provide a reference for the sustainable development of desert highways.