Achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in drylands and meeting escalating food demand to feed a projected nine billion people by 2050 under the specter of climate change presents a formidable challenge. Sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture could be a viable option to meet these challenges. This review paper aimed to explore the agroecological effectiveness of key SI practices in enhancing crop productivity and climate resilience in dryland regions, while explicitly highlighting their context-specific limitations and trade-offs. Another objective is to elucidate the socio-economic barriers and drivers for small-scale farmers in adopting SI practices and highlighting their potential contributions to achieve SDGs in drylands. This review revealed that improved cultivars, crop rotation, intercropping, agroforestry, early planting, zero-tillage, mulching, push and pull strategy, integrated nutrient management, and water harvesting practices manifested consistent positive impacts on yield and economic returns in dryland agriculture. However, adoption of these practices varied significantly across different cropping systems in drylands. Moreover, these practices hold a promising potential to support several SDGs (SDG 1, SDG2, SDG6, SDG13, and SDG 15). These SI practices possess significant potential for expansion to encompass over 50% of smallholder farmers in drylands. However, substantial barriers to adoption (poor knowledge, limited finance, land tenure security, labor demand, high cost, gender gaps and poor extension work) persist, and current rates of adoption are relatively low. The adoption of SI practices in drylands can be fostered by moving away from 'business-as-usual' approaches and focusing on enhancing microcredit financing, such as climate index insurance and public-private partnerships. Additionally, addressing market constraints, bridging gender gaps, improving extension services and capacity building, and establishing robust monitoring and evaluation systems will support the implementation of adaptable, context-tailored solutions, underpinned by innovative policy recommendations. This would help to build more resilient and sustainable food systems that ensure the well-being of present and future generations in dryland regions.