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Donald Trump Claims Morocco Named Major Highway After Him
Donald Trump says Morocco has paid tribute to him by attaching his name to a major route linking the country to Western Sahara. The president’s claim about the special honor has not been publicly confirmed by Rabat, despite the close ties between the kingdom and both of Trump’s administrations.
The head of state has been strengthening his relationship with Rabat over the years, ever since his government recognized Morocco’s claim to Western Sahara in December 2020.
Donald Trump says Morocco has honored him by naming part of the country’s Tiznit-Dakhla highway after him, a claim that has yet to be publicly confirmed by Moroccan authorities.
The president revealed the alleged tribute in a post on Truth Social, thanking King Mohammed VI and saying he looked forward to traveling on the “Great Highway one day.” Rabat has not announced the naming, but analysts told Al Jazeera the move would fit the unusually close relationship Morocco developed with both Trump administrations.
Experts say the reported gesture is closely tied to Trump’s role in one of Morocco’s biggest foreign policy victories. In December 2020, his administration became the first Western government to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, a disputed territory Rabat has sought to control for decades.
Analyst Intissar Fakir of the Middle East Institute said that honoring Trump “makes perfect sense” because his administration gave Morocco the strongest international backing it had ever received on Western Sahara.
A Potential Trump Tribute Could Be Tied To World Cup 2030
Beyond simply coinciding with the highway’s recent completion, Fakir also suggested the timing of a potential tribute could reflect Morocco’s preparations ahead of co-hosting the FIFA World Cup. Trump has, of course, developed a close relationship with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in recent years.
Alongside Spain and Portugal, the kingdom will co-host the next installation of the tournament in 2030, with Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay staging one centenary match each before the competition officially begins.
Morocco is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure ahead of the event. The centerpiece is the 115,000-seat Hassan II Grand Stadium near Casablanca, which officials aim to complete by the end of 2027. Beyond football, authorities are expanding highways, rail links and transport networks as they position Morocco as a gateway between Europe and Africa.
How Donald Trump Became A Key Ally To Rabat
4Trump’s relationship with Rabat already deepened considerably during the final weeks of his first administration. Morocco agreed to restore diplomatic relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, while Washington abandoned decades of neutrality and backed the kingdom’s claim to Western Sahara.
In August 2025, he described Morocco’s autonomy plan as the only realistic basis for resolving the dispute and highlighted cooperation on regional security, counterterrorism and commerce.
The two countries also maintain strong military and economic ties. Morocco is a major buyer of American defense equipment and hosts African Lion, the U.S. military’s largest annual exercise on the continent. King Mohammed VI also congratulated Trump following his 2024 election victory and reportedly highlighted the Western Sahara decision as evidence of their countries’ unusually close bond.
Trump’s Abraham Accords Opened A New Chapter For Morocco
4Over the past several years, Rabat has steadily raised its international profile through diplomacy, trade, and even sport.
In 2020, Morocco became one of four Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel under the Trump-brokered Abraham Accords. However, the European Union remains its largest trading partner, with goods trade topping €62 billion (about $70 billion) in 2025.
The kingdom has also gained significant diplomatic momentum over Western Sahara. Since the U.S. recognition in 2020, several countries have backed Morocco’s autonomy proposal or expanded engagement with the territory, while more than 20 nations have opened consulates there.
Soccer has become another pillar of that strategy. Morocco hosted the FIFA Africa Office in Rabat, and has staged major CAF competitions. The kingdom’s men’s football team earned global praise with its historic 2022 World Cup semifinal run, and is now preparing to welcome the world again in 2030.
Donald Trump’s Name Has Appeared On More Than One Landmark
4Trump’s reported highway honor in Morocco would not be the first time his name has become attached to a prominent landmark. But unlike many of his properties, public tributes appear to often generate political and legal battles.
One of the most contentious examples came earlier this year when a federal judge ordered Trump’s name removed from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The Trump-aligned board had voted to rename the venue in his honor, but the court ruled that only Congress had the authority to alter the name of the congressionally established memorial.
The administration ultimately removed Trump’s name from the building, website, and official materials while continuing its appeal, as The Blast reported.
