Dubai’s Famous Toyota Building Set for Demolition in 2027

DUBAI, UAE: One of Dubai’s most recognisable buildings from the city’s early period of urban development is set to disappear from the Sheikh Zayed Road skyline, with the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building, widely known as the Toyota Building, scheduled for demolition in 2027.

The 15-storey residential building, instantly recognisable to generations of Dubai residents because of the large red Toyota sign on its rooftop, is currently being cleared ahead of its planned demolition.

According to local reports, the building will be demolished in 2027, although an exact date has not yet been announced.

Residents with existing rental contracts will be permitted to remain in the property until December 2026, according to the building’s property management.

Some tenants have already begun relocating, with former residents sharing memories of the building on social media as preparations for its closure progress.

The building’s management has reportedly been asking residents to leave in phases. Earlier departures included occupants of partitioned apartments, while long-term residents and tenants living in company accommodation have also started relocating.

More Than 50 Years on Sheikh Zayed Road

Completed in 1974, just three years after the formation of the UAE, the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building dates from a period when the urban landscape surrounding Sheikh Zayed Road was markedly different from the high-rise corridor seen today.

Standing approximately 65 metres tall, the building was one of relatively few substantial structures in the area around what was then known as the Defence Roundabout, near the present-day first interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Over the following five decades, Dubai developed rapidly around the tower, transforming Sheikh Zayed Road into a major commercial and residential corridor lined with high-rise developments.

Despite that transformation, the building remained, becoming an increasingly distinctive reminder of an earlier period in Dubai’s architectural and urban history.

How the Toyota Building Got Its Name

While officially named the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building, its lasting identity came from an advertising sign installed several years after its completion.

A large Toyota billboard was installed on the roof in 1981, and its prominent position overlooking Sheikh Zayed Road made it a familiar reference point for motorists and residents.

Over time, the association became so established that the residential tower became commonly known simply as the Toyota Building.

The red-and-white rooftop sign remained in place for decades as the surrounding cityscape underwent significant redevelopment.

In 2018, the Toyota sign was removed after the advertising agreement expired, prompting nostalgia among long-term Dubai residents familiar with the landmark.

After an absence of almost four years, Toyota UAE reinstated the sign in June 2022, restoring one of the building’s most recognisable features.

An Early Dubai Landmark Nears Its Final Chapter

The building contains one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and has continued operating as a residential property despite being increasingly surrounded by newer and substantially taller developments.

Its longevity has made it an unusual survivor from an earlier stage of Dubai’s growth, particularly along Sheikh Zayed Road, where much of the built environment has changed considerably since the 1970s.

With residents now beginning to leave and existing rental contracts running until December 2026, the planned 2027 demolition will bring more than half a century of the building’s presence on Sheikh Zayed Road to an end.