Modern Sheikh Zayed Road features a row of skyscrapers lined with hotels, offices, and residential buildings, making it one of Dubai's most famous areas. However, 40 to 50 years ago, the scene was completely different: only a few buildings were along the road, and much of the territory remained open.
Khaleej Times looked into history to recall the structures that stood on Sheikh Zayed Road before 1985. One such building was the Nasser Rashid Lotah building, erected in 1974, long before the street was filled with high-rise constructions.
This fifteen-story residential building later became known as the Toyota Building after a large Toyota sign was installed on its roof in 1981. The sign became so recognizable that residents began calling the entire building the Toyota Building. Although it is currently being cleared and will be demolished, management informed Khaleej Times that there is no exact date for the demolition yet, and the building still stands.
Another example is the Al Rostamani Towers, built in 1977. At that time, there were few tall buildings in the area, and these two towers became part of a small cluster of structures along the road. They remain in use today.
The Sheikh Rashid Tower in Dubai Mall opened in 1979 when most of the surrounding land was vacant. This tower stood out and became one of Dubai's most recognizable buildings. The original tower still stands, although the surrounding area has changed.
The Mall Apartments are also part of the Mall's development. They were among the early constructions in this area and have been preserved to this day. Old photographs show how easily they could be spotted back then when there were few buildings around.
The original Metropolitan Hotel opened on Sheikh Zayed Road in February 1979. At that time, there were few buildings further down the road towards Abu Dhabi. The hotel stood for over thirty years before being demolished in 2013, and its site became part of Al Habtoor City.
The Dubai Hilton also appeared in old pictures of the Mall area. This hotel was located near the mall during a period when there were not many large buildings around. It was demolished in 2007.
In the early 1980s, more buildings began to appear along the road, including the Wafa Tower, also known as Emirates Pink Tower. This building still stands and is one of the oldest skyscrapers from that period.
The age of these structures is only part of the story; their significance lies in how much the surrounding landscape has changed. A person observing from one of these buildings in the 1970s saw open plots of land and only a few structures. Today, the same view shows metro lines, roads, hotels, offices, and towers stretching along Sheikh Zayed Road.