President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that a 1,055-kilometer highway stretching from Tiznit to Dakhla in the disputed territory of Western Sahara will be named the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.” According to the president’s social media post published on Sunday, July 26, the project is framed as a “road of peace towards prosperity.”
The announcement follows a diplomatic history between Washington and Rabat. In December 2020, under the Abraham Accords and normalization efforts with Israel, the Trump administration broke with decades of United States policy by recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the entire territory of Western Sahara. For the United Nations, however, Western Sahara remains listed as a non-self-governing territory awaiting a definitive status through a self-determination process.
Infrastructure Investment and Western Sahara Integration
The infrastructure project, spanning from Tiznit to Dakhla, was developed under the New Model for the Development of the Southern Provinces, launched in 2015 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Green March. The multi-billion-dirham transportation corridor is designed to link Morocco directly to Laâyoune, Dakhla, and the upcoming Dakhla Atlantic port. While local outlets describe it technically as a high-speed expressway rather than a conventional highway, the project serves as a cornerstone of Morocco’s economic integration strategy for the region.
According to reports from the Institut Géopolitique Horizons, a ministerial source indicated that an official naming ceremony for the route was scheduled for July 28 in Laâyoune. At the time of the initial announcement, however, no official Moroccan government authority had formally confirmed the name change on the ground.
Diplomatic Precedent and Regional Strategy
The naming initiative mirrors past diplomatic gestures seen in other regions following major U.S. policy shifts. Following the U.S. decisions on Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, local authorities in Israel proposed similar tributes, including a “Trump Heights” locality in the Golan and a planned railway station near Jerusalem’s Old City named after the former U.S. president.
Observers note that the infrastructure tribute in Western Sahara functions as a prominent political signpost directed at Washington. With Donald Trump back in office, Moroccan diplomacy aims to secure further political backing and active support within the United Nations Security Council regarding the territorial dispute.
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