Dubai Toyota Building due for demolition by 2027

Dubai's 15-storey Toyota Building is due for demolition by 2027, after residents moved out of a structure seen by some as a rare link to the city's earlier skyline.

The building, originally named the Nasser Rashid Lootah building, became known as the Toyota Building after the Japanese carmaker installed a red advertising sign there in 1981. It stands near newer landmarks including the Burj Khalifa.

The Nasser Rashid Lootah Group, which manages the property, previously told local media of the decision to demolish it by 2027. The group declined to respond to AFP requests for comment.

Architect and author Todd Reisz said construction of the building began in 1974, around the time work began on the Dubai World Trade Centre. Dubai has grown from a city of less than 200,000 people in the 1970s to more than four million people.

A former resident, Himanshu, said he had lived in the building for three years before being forced to leave recently. He said authorities cut off the electricity without clear explanation. Dubai authorities did not respond to AFP requests for comment.

The building's evacuation coincides with efforts by Dubai authorities to regulate shared housing, curb overcrowding and address unregulated living arrangements.