The President of the United States (POTUS) received the highest award Morocco has to present following his team’s negotiation of a diplomatic agreement between Israel and the Arab nation.
Following the Trump administration’s brokering of a peace deal between Israel and the northwestern African country of Morocco, the Arab nation awarded the POTUS with its highest award known as the Order of Muhammad. The Trump administration announced the agreement between the two countries in December of 2020, leading to the normalization of diplomatic ties between them.
The award was reportedly presented during a private ceremony in the Oval Office as a gift from King Mohammed VI, and it was presented by Morocco’s ambassador to the US, Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui. In addition to President Trump, Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz received additional awards.
POTUS also gifted King Mohammed VI with the Legion of Merit, which is seldom handed out. This award can only be presented by the president and is historically given to leaders of other countries or governments. The Moroccan ambassador accepted this gift on the king’s behalf.
Morocco is the fourth Arab nation to make such an agreement with Israel in the last five months, following the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Sudan. One major involvement from the US in this diplomatic agreement is US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
