US President Donald Trump says Morocco has named the newly completed Tiznit-Dakhla Expressway after him.
Trump posted the announcement on Truth Social with a promotional video of the road. He thanked King Mohammed VI and said he hopes to travel the full route one day. “Thank you to Highly Respected Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco. Such a Great Honor! I look forward to traveling the entire length of this Great Highway someday, hopefully soon! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The road is now officially called the President Donald J. Trump Highway.
The expressway is 1,055km (655 miles) long and cost around MAD 10 billion ($1 billion) to build. Work started in 2015 and the road became fully operational in early 2025.
It links Tiznit, Guelmim, Tan-Tan, Laayoune, Boujdour and Dakhla along the Atlantic coast.
The project cuts travel times between central and southern Morocco. It is also expected to boost trade with West Africa through the planned Dakhla Atlantic Port. Officials say the road has created thousands of jobs, improved road safety and strengthened infrastructure in the southern provinces.
The naming comes nearly five years after Trump recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
On 10 December 2020, Trump signed a White House proclamation recognising Moroccan sovereignty over the territory. The decision marked a major change in US policy and came as Morocco normalised relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords.
The proclamation also backed Morocco’s 2007 Autonomy Plan as the only realistic basis for settling the Western Sahara dispute.
The United States later announced plans to open a consulate in Dakhla to support trade, investment and economic development. The expressway provides a direct road link to the city.
Morocco and the United States have long-standing ties. Morocco became the first country to recognise US independence in 1777, and the two countries signed a peace and friendship treaty in 1786 that remains the longest unbroken treaty in US history.
Several European and regional countries have since backed Morocco’s autonomy plan, following the US decision in 2020.
