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Morocco Names New Sahara Highway After Donald Trump
🇪🇸 Spain /Energy & Infrastructure

Morocco Names New Sahara Highway After Donald Trump

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced the naming of a new highway in Morocco after him.
  • The 1,055-kilometer highway connects southern Morocco to the Sahara Desert.
  • The naming celebrates the long-standing diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Morocco, dating back to 1786.

In a move reflecting his penchant for self-promotion, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a new highway in Morocco has been named in his honor. The 1,055-kilometer route stretches from southern Morocco into the Sahara Desert, reaching the port of Dajla.

I am very much looking forward to the possibility of traveling its entire length someday, hopefully soon.

— Donald TrumpIn a social media post announcing the highway naming, expressing his anticipation to travel the route.

Trump shared the news via his social media platform, Truth, expressing gratitude for the "great honor" bestowed by King Mohammed VI of Morocco. He conveyed his eagerness to travel the entire length of the "Great Highway" soon. The announcement was accompanied by a video highlighting aerial views of the desert highway and emphasizing the historical ties between the two nations.

The video narrative underscored Morocco's status as the first country to recognize the United States, marking the 250th anniversary of its founding. It also referenced the 1786 treaty of peace and friendship, described as the foundation of the longest uninterrupted diplomatic relationship in U.S. history. The "President Donald J. Trump Highway" is presented as its most concrete and enduring expression, a project costing nearly a billion dollars.

The President Donald J. Trump Highway is its most concrete and lasting expression.

— Video narratorIn the promotional video accompanying Trump's announcement, linking the highway to the historical U.S.-Morocco relationship.

Officially known until now as the Tiznit-Dajla highway, the infrastructure is a key component of Morocco's economic development plans for the Sahara region, including the new Dajla Atlantico deep-water port. The decision to name the highway after Trump appears to be a strategic move by Morocco, capitalizing on the U.S. president's known inclination to have landmarks named after him during his term.

The President Donald J. Trump Highway is the road of peace for prosperity.

— Video narratorConcluding statement in the promotional video, framing the highway's purpose.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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