Based on the MODIS NDVI data of the normalized difference vegetation index products obtained between 2000 and 2015,Variable coefficient,Theil-Sen median trend analysis,Mann-Kendall test method and Hurst index method were utilized for research on the temporal-spatial dynamic change characteristics of vegetation coverage in the arid region of Northwest China and the future trends. The results showed:1)the vegetation coverage in the entire region has a strong spatial heterogeneity,the area of vegetation and bare fallow accounts for 35.59% and 64.41% of the total area,respectively. Affected by precipitation,higher value area of NDVI is mainly in the mountains and southeastern region which have a rich rainfall,the low value areas of NDVI are concentrated on plains and northwestern region which have a poor rainfall;Influenced by rivers and irrigation,the vegetation coverage of desert is lower than the oasis which has the better hydrothermal conditions. 2)the variation degree of the entire regional vegetation coverage in the recent 16 years was not obvious. The fluctuation in each subregion is slight,and the proportion of region where the variation degree is less than 0.10 is as high as 1/2. 3)the entire regional vegetation coverage in the recent 16 years shows fluctuation changes which have a increase trend,the change rate is 0.006/10a. The analysis based on the pixel scale also shows a increase trend,the area of increase trend in Hexi Corridor is the largest and in Northern Xinjiang is the least. 4)Hurst index average of the entire regional NDVI is 0.73. The scope of Hurst index greater than 0.5 accounts for 86.25%. The change trend of the entire regional vegetation coverage in the future is mainly in persistent increase. Among them,13.46% area change trend cannot be determined. The change trend in the future of the increase degree in each subregion is different,the increase trend in Hexi Corridor is the most obvious and in Northern Xinjiang is the least.