Dubai’s iconic Toyota building to be demolished

It’s been a landmark on Sheikh Zayed Road since 1974, with the Toyota sign illuminating SZR since 1981. But Dubai’s iconic Toyota building is set to be demolished. Per Gulf News, the tower is scheduled for demolition in 2027, with residents still with contracts in place given until December 2026 to move out of the much-loved 15-storey residential tower. Gulf News confirmed the demolition via a real estate agent from the property management company, NRL Group (Nasser Rashid Lootah Real Estate). The confirmation comes after residents shared videos online to announce that they were moving out, and reflecting fondly on their memories of living in the building. Details on what will replace it have not yet been given. ALSO READ: Then and now: 15 remarkable throwback pictures of Dubai Built in 1974, the 15-storey tower was at that time one of only three buildings in the area, which was then known as Defence Roundabout. It is considered one of Dubai’s first residential towers. In 2018, its famous red Toyota sign was removed due to the advertising contract with Toyota coming to an end. But in 2022, the sign returned to the building again, with NRL Group telling The National at the time that it was due to the contract starting again. Toyota at the time also said the sign was back ‘by popular demand’, as it’s long been a nostalgic part of the framework of Sheikh Zayed Road.