In an era before Burj Khalifa, there were two landmarks to tell you you had arrived in Dubai. One was the World Trade Centre and the other was the Toyota Building.
Named so because of its neon sign, the Toyota Building served as a reference point as the city expanded. In 2018, the sign disappeared.
The two-block residential tower is properly known as the Nasser Rashid Lootah Building and its owners, the NRL Group, told The National that the advertising contract with Toyota was renewed recently.
“The contract ended several years ago but it has started again,” the group said.
The English sign was restored to the side of the building that greets drivers heading north towards Sharjah, while an Arabic sign has been installed on the opposite side.
Al Futtaim Toyota also said on Monday the sign was back “by popular demand” following a survey.
There is a lot of nostalgia and fond memories that Dubai residents associate with the billboard. Bringing it back is our tribute to the spirit of Dubai
Vincent Wijnen,
senior managing director, Al Futtaim Automotive
“There is a lot of nostalgia and fond memories that Dubai residents associate with the billboard,” said Vincent Wijnen, senior managing director at Al Futtaim Automotive. “Bringing it back is our tribute to the spirit of Dubai.”
The significance of the Lootah tower, however, goes far beyond a simple sign, and, like all old buildings in Dubai, it has a story to tell.
It appeared on the city’s skyline at some point in the late 1970s. Archive photographs taken by Gulf News photographers from the World Trade Centre in 1979 show it close to completion.
It was one of the few high-rises in Dubai then, surrounded by nothing but sand, beside what was known as Defence Roundabout. All Futtaim Toyota said the sign was installed in the 1980s but neon was not new in Dubai.
“Neon signage had … already lit up the night sky for nearly two decades from on top of buildings along Dubai Creek,” said Todd Reisz, author of Showpiece City: How Architecture Made Dubai.
Rather than the sign, Mr Reisz said the building’s significance lies more in representing a new phase in Dubai’s expansion.
“The Toyota signage and the building below it were part of a ramped-up campaign to stretch the city beyond the Creek, towards the city’s developing new ports,” said Mr Reisz, referring to Port Rashid, Dubai Drydocks and Jebel Ali Port.
“Probably completed in the late 1970s or early 1980s just after the World Trade Centre, the Lootah building helped to configure the Abu Dhabi road, not yet known as Sheikh Zayed Road, as the city’s spine.”
The building reflects its era. Its concrete, shaded balconies and smaller windows offered residents respite from the searing heat.
Over the years, however, the tower has been overshadowed by modern skyscrapers, including the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa.
Its once white exterior has been painted brown but older external air conditioning units still dot the exterior. On the ground floor are some small shops including a grocery, laundry and restaurant. A rudimentary street gym has closed, with locks on the door and faded posters of musclemen yellowing on the walls.
That the building remains is a statement in itself and many residents still call it home. The NRL Group said it plans a maintenance programme soon.
Yasser Elsheshtawy, adjunct professor of architecture at Columbia University in the US and expert on urbanism in the Gulf, cautioned against getting too nostalgic about such buildings as there are times when people need to step back and look at what the city needs.
“It is natural to think fondly of some of these buildings and associate some romantic idea of the ‘good old times’ and sense of community,” he said. “But this could be wishful thinking and not truly what existed at the time.
“The danger is that nostalgia is attached to these buildings. I personally don’t think much would be lost if it were to be demolished. People who live there need to be relocated and given appropriate housing. It could be a park and provide an open air space for people in that area.”
The privately-owned tower and wider neighbourhood have been the subject of a recent photographic tour run by Dubai’s Gulf Photo Plus that examined the area’s history and urban development.
“Toyota have done a great service to the participants and residents by highlighting this local icon,” said Gulf Photo Plus’s Raz Hansrod.
“And [by] using the opportunity of the sign reinstatement to share cultural insights with participants and the wider community,” said Mr Hansrod, who said Toyota had contacted them about a tour and they worked together to place the building in a historic context.
This tour also reflects the surge of interest in the UAE’s architectural heritage over the past few years, including Mr Reisz’s and Prof Elsheshtawy's work.
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi and Mr Reisz also co-edited Building Sharjah, a book which documented modernist architecture in the emirate. Sharjah Art Foundation has restored buildings such as the Flying Saucer, while the Sharjah Architecture Triennial holds walking tours of historic neighbourhoods.
In Abu Dhabi, a modern heritage initiative aims to safeguard its historic architecture, while in 2018 Dubai Municipality launched one of its own.
But questions will always swirl about redevelopment when it comes to these buildings.
“There have been multiple rumours about pending demolition,” Mr Reisz said.
“That’s not surprising considering that it is clearly of another era and now in the midst of a new district targeting an income level beyond that of current residents. The building once announced Dubai’s economic advancement. Today, it survives as a hope for a more demographically integrated Dubai.”
Dubai's development through the years — in pictures
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The%20specs
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The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to vote in the UAE
1) Download your ballot https://www.fvap.gov/
2) Take it to the US Embassy
3) Deadline is October 15
4) The embassy will ensure all ballots reach the US in time for the November 3 poll
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
ANATOMY%20OF%20A%20FALL
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJustine%20Triet%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESandra%20Huller%2C%20Swann%20Arlaud%2C%20Milo%20Machado-Graner%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Secret Nation: The Hidden Armenians of Turkey
Avedis Hadjian, (IB Tauris)
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
%3Cp%3EAl%20Khayma%0D%3Cbr%3EBait%20Maryam%0D%3Cbr%3EBrasserie%20Boulud%0D%3Cbr%3EFi'lia%0D%3Cbr%3Efolly%0D%3Cbr%3EGoldfish%0D%3Cbr%3EIbn%20AlBahr%0D%3Cbr%3EIndya%20by%20Vineet%0D%3Cbr%3EKinoya%0D%3Cbr%3ENinive%0D%3Cbr%3EOrfali%20Bros%0D%3Cbr%3EReif%20Japanese%20Kushiyaki%0D%3Cbr%3EShabestan%0D%3Cbr%3ETeible%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
LIVERPOOL%20TOP%20SCORERS
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SPECS
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3
Danilo (16'), Bernardo Silva (34'), Fernandinho (72')
Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Ulloa (20')
