Dubai’s Iconic Toyota Building Set for 2027 Demolition as Tenants Begin to Move Out

Dubai’s familiar Toyota building on Sheikh Zayed Road is due to be torn down in 2027, the real estate division managing the property has confirmed. The agent, representing NRL Group, or Nasser Rashid Lootah Real Estate, told Gulf News the demolition is planned but did not provide a specific date. Footage shared on social media showing residents leaving and recalling memories prompted the enquiry. Management said tenants who hold existing rental contracts are permitted to stay until December 2026. Some occupants are already vacating, the agent explained, because authorities have cut electricity to certain units — an action linked to a number of partitioned apartments in the complex. Gulf News has approached relevant authorities for further information about the disconnections and the partitioned units. Indian expatriate Himanshu SK, a travel agent who has lived in the UAE for four and a half years and three years in the building, posted a farewell video on Instagram and reflected on living in both Block A and Block B. Longstanding residents, some of whom asked to remain unnamed, described decades of memories tied to the place. A restaurant beneath the building said it is still open for now but expects to close eventually, and a minimart confirmed it will shut within the next two to three days. Completed in 1974, the 15-storey residential complex stands about 65 metres tall and was among the first three buildings near the First Roundabout. Known as the Toyota Building after a neon Toyota sign first installed in 1981, removed in 2018 and reinstalled in June 2022, it contains one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and has been a Downtown Dubai landmark for more than five decades.