King Mohammed VI Confirms Trump Highway Naming in Morocco
A letter from Morocco’s king Mohammed VI has confirmed that the country has named a major highway after former US President Donald Trump, formally cementing a symbolic gesture that harks back to the 2020 diplomatic accord between the two nations.
In late June the king sent a handwritten message to President Trump, praising his “historic recognition …of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara,” and noting that the road – now 1,055 km long, stretching from Tiznit in the north to Dakhla in the south – will be “forever etched in the memory of Moroccans.”
The Tiznit‑Dakhla highway, previously officially named for the region itself, cuts across Western Sahara, a territory largely controlled by Morocco while remaining contested by the Polisario Front. The road’s construction reportedly cost nearly $1 billion, and Trump, in a Truth‑Social video, expressed enthusiasm for traveling its full length.
The renaming follows the US’s 2020 recognition of Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara as part of a broader agreement to normalise relations with Israel. The African Union recognises the territory’s independence; however, the European Union has largely stayed neutral, and recent discussions in Spain and the UK suggest a preference for autonomous status over full independence.
This landmark gesture carries symbolic weight in a region still embroiled in a long‑standing conflict. While the Moroccan government has yet to issue a formal press release, the king’s letter underscores the enduring ties between Morocco and the United States.
Image: Donald Trump lifted his right arm, with a partial presidential seal visible behind him – Reuters
