Moroccan king's letter confirms naming of major highway in honour of Trump

Morocco's King Mohammed VI has officially confirmed that a major highway has been named in honor of US President Donald Trump. The formerly Tiznit-Dakhla highway, which extends into the disputed Western Sahara territory, now bears Trump's name. The King's letter, published over the weekend, stated the naming is a "personal expression of my high regard" and acknowledged Trump's "historic recognition... of Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara" in 2020. This recognition was part of a deal that also saw Morocco normalize relations with Israel. The King highlighted the strong and fruitful relationship between the two countries during Trump's presidency, referring to the 1,055km highway as a "strategic axis" linking northern and southern Morocco.

Former US President Donald Trump claimed Morocco named the Tiznit-Dakhla highway after him, a gesture experts suggest is linked to Morocco's ambitions in the disputed Western Sahara. The US officially recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in December 2020, a move that benefited Rabat's long-standing claims. The 1,055km highway, fully operational in January, runs through Western Sahara and is part of Morocco's broader infrastructure development aimed at strengthening its control over the territory. Analysts believe this naming, if confirmed, could also be tied to Morocco's bid to co-host the 2030 World Cup. The highway connects southern Morocco with Mauritania and is a key component of Rabat's strategy to become a regional trade gateway.