The Toyota sign in Dubai will have a future beyond the landmark building it has topped for decades, with Al-Futtaim Toyota confirming plans to carry its legacy forward after the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building is demolished. The company has not yet revealed exactly what will happen to the famous red-and-white sign, but says more details will be announced in the coming months.
For generations of Dubai residents, the sign has been much more than advertising. It became a familiar point along Sheikh Zayed Road, a way to give directions and a visual reminder of an earlier Dubai.
The sign’s next chapter is still a mystery
Al-Futtaim Toyota has confirmed that the legacy of the sign will be preserved, but it has not said whether the existing structure will be moved to another location, recreated elsewhere or preserved as part of Dubai’s heritage.
Jacques Brent, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Toyota and Lexus, said the company plans to reveal more in the coming months. The company has also teased “one last surprise” before the Toyota Building disappears from the skyline.
That means the sign’s final appearance on the building may not be its last moment in Dubai.
How the Toyota Building became a landmark
The Nasser Rashid Lootah Building was completed in 1974 and is a 15-storey residential building. At the time, the area around Sheikh Zayed Road looked very different from the high-rise corridor residents know today.
The large Toyota sign was installed on its roof in 1981. It quickly became so recognisable that residents began referring to the building simply as the Toyota Building, even though there was no Toyota showroom or service centre inside it.
The sign remained for nearly four decades before being removed in 2018, when its advertising contract expired. Its return in June 2022 was welcomed by residents and nostalgia fans, with Al-Futtaim Toyota saying it was reinstated following popular demand.
The building may disappear, but the memory remains
The Toyota Building is now being emptied ahead of its planned demolition in 2027. Current tenants with valid rental contracts have been told they can remain until December 2026, according to building management.
Its disappearance marks the end of a particularly familiar chapter of Dubai’s skyline. The building stood through the transformation of Sheikh Zayed Road from a much less developed stretch into one of the city’s busiest and most recognisable corridors.
The Toyota sign became part of that transformation. It helped residents navigate the city before smartphones and digital maps made finding an address effortless, while also becoming a nostalgic symbol for people who remember an older Dubai.
For now, the biggest question is where the famous sign will appear next. Al-Futtaim Toyota is keeping that detail quiet, but one thing has been made clear: the Toyota Building may be coming to an end, but the Toyota sign is not.
