2025… A Distinctly Moroccan Year

The year 2025 was distinctly Moroccan. It marked Morocco’s victory in the war it had endured for half a century, ever since it peacefully recovered its Saharan provinces from the former Spanish colonizer.

Why did that war occur? And why did it continue for half a century? Why was the Algerian regime never able to acknowledge that the war of attrition it waged against Morocco, using an instrument called the Polisario, was nothing more than an overt war that would sooner or later turn against it?

A series of questions reveals, among other things, Morocco’s resilience in the face of the challenges it confronted, as well as the fact that the Sahara issue has always been a national cause, one that touches every citizen of the Kingdom at the core.

Morocco’s victory, enshrined by 2025 as a Moroccan year, was formalized through a decision issued by the United Nations Security Council under Resolution 2797. The resolution confirmed what was already established. It affirmed the “Moroccan identity of the Sahara,” and its sovereignty over it, and stipulated that the autonomy initiative proposed by King Mohammed VI in 2007 constitutes “the basis” for any negotiations concerning the Sahara. It also emphasized that the other party in this fabricated conflict is Algeria, which can no longer hide behind the Polisario, despite all attempts to deny this reality.

From the outset, the Arab Gulf states have taken a clear position on the Sahara issue and its Moroccan identity. The most recent Gulf Cooperation Council summit reinforced the link between Arab security and the Moroccan nature of the Sahara. The final communiqué of the summit held in Manama affirmed “the Moroccan character of the Sahara and support for the autonomy initiative to resolve the Moroccan Sahara issue.” In its concluding statement, the Council welcomed Security Council Resolution 2797, adopted on October 31, 2025, considering this initiative “an important step toward reaching a realistic and implementable solution.” It also praised King Mohammed VI’s decision to submit the initiative to the Security Council and to designate October 31 of each year as a national holiday known as the “Unity Day.”

The Gulf Cooperation Council states supported Morocco and its national cause at an early stage. There is a deep-seated belief within the Council that the territorial integrity of Morocco is an inseparable component of overall Arab security, particularly since all attempts to undermine the Moroccan nature of the Sahara were aimed at creating a favorable environment for intensifying the activities of terrorist and extremist organizations of all kinds in the Sahel region, stretching from the coasts of Mauritania to southern Sudan.

The latest Gulf summit communiqué was not the first of its kind. Similar statements had preceded it. What distinguishes this one, however, is its reference to Security Council Resolution 2797 and to the designation of the date of its adoption as a Moroccan national holiday. This underscores the depth of relations between Morocco and the Arab Gulf states, as well as an acute awareness of the importance of blocking any organization, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah backed by Iran, from exploiting the Polisario front. It was no secret that Polisario elements had received training in Lebanon and Syria in the use of drones during the period preceding the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the collapse of the Hezb.

This is not merely about the successes Morocco has achieved on all fronts since the Green March of November 1975, but also about the existence of a consistent Moroccan policy with interconnected phases. That policy began by fortifying the Sahara through the construction of a series of walls and natural barriers that enabled its inhabitants to live in safety.

This policy was crowned in 2025 by the adoption of Resolution 2797, which neither Russia nor China opposed. This reflects the networks of relations that Mohammed VI has built worldwide. Countries such as Russia and China are not charitable organizations; they are states driven by their interests. Two countries holding veto power on the Security Council would not have abstained from voting had they not had genuine interests in Morocco.

Morocco has succeeded in establishing itself as a regional and international player. Among the most significant steps taken by Mohammed VI were breakthroughs in Africa. These were not limited to Francophone African countries; Morocco also made inroads into Anglophone African states. One cannot underestimate the nature of Moroccan investments on the African continent, which are based on mutual benefits, including chemical fertilizer production plants leveraging Moroccan phosphate, the construction of schools and hospitals, and the promotion of moderate Islam.

Morocco has developed the Sahara to serve as Africa’s Atlantic gateway. In this context, the growing role of the port of Dakhla must be highlighted, as it prepares to play a major role in linking Africa with the American continent. Moreover, no impartial observer can overlook the importance of the oil and gas pipeline currently under construction, which crosses several countries starting from Nigeria.

The fundamental question remains: what is the secret of Morocco’s victory? It lies in the relationship between the Throne and the people, a relationship based on mutual trust that enabled Morocco to defend its Sahara while continuing its development. Morocco now enjoys advanced infrastructure, particularly regarding its railway network connecting cities and regions. Most importantly, there are no taboos in Morocco. This means there is no shame in publicly discussing any problems that may arise, such as crises in education or healthcare that can trigger protests. In short, Morocco is a country reconciled with itself, enabling it to confront challenges, including those imposed by nature, such as droughts or earthquakes.

All of this takes place away from demagoguery and empty posturing, through the continued pursuit of development and reconstruction in a country that possesses a clear vision: the vision of King Mohammed VI, based on investing in the Moroccan human being, who remains the country’s true wealth.