On Tuesday, the Nasser Rashid Lootah Group said it would demolish the 15‑storey Toyota Building by 2027, forcing the evacuation of its residents. The 1974‑built structure, once a marker on Sheikh Zayed Road, now stands amidst Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall.
The building earned its nickname after a 1981 red Toyota sign flickered on its façade, turning the block into a commercial hub. Architect Todd Reisz noted that construction began the same year the Dubai World Trade Centre rose, symbolising the city’s first boom.
Himanshu, 29, who ran a travel agency from a cramped top‑floor office, said the sudden shutdown left him without a business. "We were told to leave, electricity cut off," he recalled, echoing the shock felt by many residents. Rana, a Pakistani national who managed a cafeteria on the ground floor for six years, called the site "my family".
Dubai’s 2022 law curbs illegally partitioned rooms, a measure aimed at curbing overcrowding that once saw a single apartment house up to 15 people, according to local residents. The demolition aligns with the emirate’s push to clean up informal housing.
The site, which has seen more than 200,000 people move through its streets since the 1970s, is slated for a mixed‑use development that could include luxury apartments and retail. City planners expect construction to begin after the demolition completes in early 2027.