Morocco has officially named one of its longest highways after US President Donald Trump, recognising his role in backing the kingdom’s claim over the disputed territory of Western Sahara.
The decision was confirmed in a letter from King Mohammed VI, published by Morocco’s state news agency, days after Trump revealed the honour on social media.
In the letter, the Moroccan monarch described the move as “a personal expression of my high regard” for the US president and praised Trump’s 2020 decision to recognise Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
The highway, previously known as the Tiznit-Dakhla Expressway, stretches more than 1,000 kilometres and connects southern Morocco with the city of Dakhla in Western Sahara. Rabat describes the route as a strategic corridor linking the country’s north and south.
King Mohammed said Trump’s recognition of Morocco’s claim over Western Sahara would remain a defining moment in the country’s history.
“Historic recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara will forever be etched in the memory of Moroccans,” the king wrote, adding that ties between Rabat and Washington had become stronger during Trump’s time in office.
Western Sahara has remained one of Africa’s longest-running territorial disputes. Morocco controls most of the territory and considers it part of the kingdom, while the Polisario Front, which seeks independence for the Sahrawi people, controls smaller areas.
The dispute dates back to Spain’s withdrawal from the territory in 1975. The United Nations still classifies Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory and has repeatedly called for a political solution, including a long-delayed referendum on self-determination.
Trump’s recognition of Morocco’s claim came in 2020 as part of a US-brokered agreement under which Morocco normalised diplomatic relations with Israel, marking a major shift in US policy on the territory.
While the African Union recognises the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, several Western countries, including Spain and the United Kingdom, have recently backed Morocco’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara without endorsing full independence.
Trump welcomed the highway renaming in a post on Truth Social last week, sharing a video of the project, which he said cost nearly $1 billion to build.