Dubai’s iconic Toyota building to be demolished in 2027

Dubai: Dubai’s well-known Toyota building on Sheikh Zayed Road will be demolished in 2027, according to the real estate division managing the property, bringing an end to one of the city’s most iconic residential buildings.

The confirmation comes after videos circulated on social media showing tenants leaving the building and sharing memories of living there.

Gulf News contacted the building management to establish what was happening. An agent from the real estate division of the property, which is managed by NRL Group, or Nasser Rashid Lootah Real Estate, confirmed that the building is scheduled for demolition in 2027.

The agent did not provide an exact date or a more specific timeline for the demolition.

Tenants can stay until December 2026

Residents with existing rental contracts can remain in the building until December 2026, according to the agent.

When asked why some tenants were already moving out, the agent said those leaving now included residents whose electricity supply had been cut by the authorities. 

The agent said the issue was linked to a number of partitioned apartments in the building.

Gulf News has contacted relevant authorities for further details on the electricity disconnections and the situation involving partitioned units.

The final farewell

Himanshu SK, an Indian expatriate and travel agent who has lived in the UAE for the past four and a half years, posted a video on Instagram bidding farewell to the building. He told Gulf News that he had lived there for the past three years.

“The location of the building is one of the best, and it is in a prime area. It will be really difficult to find a place in Downtown Dubai that offers such affordable rents. The majority of the residents have already moved out. I lived in both Block A and Block B and made a lot of memories here. This building has been a huge part of my life in Dubai, so it is going to be very difficult to leave,” SK said.

Other residents have called the iconic building home for decades and have witnessed the rapid development of Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Dubai. Some longtime residents, who did not wish to be named, told Gulf News that they have decades of memories associated with the building and are emotionally attached to the place.

A restaurant located beneath the building told Gulf News that it is still operating for now, but expects to close eventually. Staff said the majority of residents have already vacated the building.

A minimart in the building also confirmed that it will close within the next two to three days.

A Sheikh Zayed Road landmark

The Nasser Rashid Lootah Building was completed in 1974, when Dubai was far less densely developed than it is today.

The 15-storey residential complex, standing about 65 metres tall, was among the first three buildings in the area near the First Roundabout on Sheikh Zayed Road.

It became widely known as the Toyota Building after carrying a neon Toyota sign on its roof for around 40 years.

The bright red insignia, which was first installed atop the 15-storey residential building in 1981, was removed in 2018 when the advertising contract expired. 

However, in June 2022, Toyota UAE installed the iconic logo back after a hiatus of nearly four years.

The residential building contains one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and has remained a familiar presence on Sheikh Zayed Road for more than five decades.

Its planned demolition in 2027 will bring that chapter to a close, while current tenants with valid rental contracts can remain until December 2026, according to the building management.