Trump Says Morocco Named Major Sahara Highway After Him, Calls It a ‘Great Honor’
U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Morocco has named one of its longest highways the route linking Tiznit and Dakhla through the territory of Western Sahara the “Trump Highway.”
Speaking on the development, Trump thanked King Mohammed VI of Morocco for what he described as a significant gesture, calling the decision “a great honor.” He also said he hopes to travel on the highway in the near future.
The highway is one of Africa’s longest road infrastructure projects, stretching approximately 1,055 kilometers (656 miles) from Tiznit in southern Morocco to Dakhla. The project reportedly cost nearly $1 billion, took around 10 years to complete, and was finalized in 2025.
The reported naming of the highway is widely viewed as recognition of Trump’s decision during his first term in office to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty claim over Western Sahara. In December 2020, the Trump administration announced U.S. recognition of Morocco’s claim as part of a broader diplomatic agreement in which Morocco agreed to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.
That move marked a major shift in longstanding U.S. policy and made Morocco one of several Arab countries to establish or normalize diplomatic relations with Israel under the U.S.-brokered agreements.
Western Sahara remains a disputed territory. Morocco administers most of the region and considers it an integral part of the kingdom, while the Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, seeks independence for the territory. The status of Western Sahara continues to be the subject of international dispute, with the United Nations supporting a political process aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable solution.