I'm guessing this part of the map uses the actual surface topography, ie how precipitation would run off through the troughs of the dunes, rather than the underlying aquifer structure. Hmmm 🧐.
Seems like the sand dunes got locked in place by vegetation at some point. It was shaped by the wind whe it was even drier than today, but then stopped moving when there was just enough moisture for plants to get a hold of things
This is just a guess, but looking at satellite images it looks like there could be dry river beds in the desert. Maybe the area gets enough rain to have them, but not enough for them to lead anywhere.