Dubai’s Toyota Building: Iconic sign to live on, 'one last surprise' planned

The end may be near for Dubai’s Toyota Building, but that is certainly not the case for the famous sign that gave the landmark its popular name. Al-Futtaim Toyota plans to carry forward the legacy of the Toyota sign after the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building on Sheikh Zayed Road is demolished, Khaleej Times can reveal.

The announcement comes as tenants continue to move out of the 15-storey building, which is set to be demolished. A representative of the building’s real estate department earlier told Khaleej Times that there was no specified timeline for the demolition.

The building, constructed in 1974, is officially called the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building. But for generations of Dubai residents, its official name was eclipsed by the giant Toyota sign on its roof.

“We received the bittersweet news about the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building on Sheikh Zayed Road, popularly known as the ‘Toyota Building’, with mixed feelings – while we are sad that its story has come to a close, we’re also excited for what is to come at this prime location in the heart of the city,” Jacques Brent, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Toyota, told Khaleej Times.

“In a dynamic, ever-evolving city like Dubai, we always knew that the story of the iconic ‘Toyota Building’ could not go on forever. This isn’t the end for the famous Toyota sign though. We have plans to carry the legacy forward, which will be revealed in the coming months.”

Brent also hinted that residents should watch the landmark closely before it disappears from Dubai’s skyline.

“And, we have one last surprise in store before we say a final farewell to the ‘Toyota Building’ – You’ll all know it when you see it!”

Al-Futtaim Toyota did not disclose whether the sign itself would be relocated, reinstalled elsewhere or preserved as a heritage piece, saying those plans were still to be confirmed.

The red-and-white Toyota sign was first installed in 1981, when Sheikh Zayed Road looked vastly different from the skyscraper-lined highway it is today.

At the time, the building was among a small number of high-rises in an area then associated with Defence Roundabout. As Dubai grew around it, the Toyota sign became such a familiar visual reference that the building itself came to be known simply as the Toyota Building.

It was a nickname that endured even though there was no Toyota showroom or service centre in the building.

“Since the Toyota sign first went up on the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building in 1981, it has been a landmark for Dubai residents and visitors alike, forming an inseparable part of the visual heritage of Dubai and its dynamic history of development, as well as an enduring symbol of Toyota’s deep association with the UAE,” Brent said.

The sign remained on the building for nearly four decades before being removed in 2018 after the advertising contract expired.

Yet the disappearance of the logo did little to erase the Toyota Building name. When Al-Futtaim Toyota brought the billboard back in 2022, it said the reinstatement followed popular demand.

“We were delighted to bring back the iconic billboard in 2022. There is a lot of nostalgia and many fond memories that Dubai residents associate with the billboard, and restoring it was our tribute to the city and its people,” Brent said.