Jumeirah Janes: Dubai’s Unique Species

The summer holiday is over and most of the Dubai expats are back in the city, including the Jumeirah Janes. Not long ago, the Janes were the most recognizable symbol of wealthy expats in Dubai. Now, however, they are labeled as species. Some say endangered, others say unique, but most agree that the ladies in question are strongly hated species. 

Today it is not easy to find a Jumeirah Jane. The first reason for that is that not many women would admit they are a Jane. The second – the luxury neighborhoods in Dubai multiplied and the Jumeirah Janes  invaded the Emirates Hills, the Meadows, the Palm Jumeirah and few other suburbs.

Things were different before. The Jumeirah Janes use to live mostly in Umm Sequim and Jumeirah 1 to 3. Usually, their whereabouts were in the cafes and shopping malls along the Jumeirah Beach Road or the saloons and the spas situated alongside.

If you are not familiar with the Jumeirah Janes, let us introduce them to you.

The term first appeared in the 1980s. Back then many women from Europe moved to Dubai. Thanks to their well paid husbands a lot of them became Janes.

So, how would we describe one? A typical Jumeirah Jane spends her time shopping and lunching and… that’s all. She is defined by her clothes, her car and the way she lives. Now, many Janes don’t live in Jumeirah. However, they like to say they have lots of friends there.

How to spot one?

Look for these things:

Car: SUV. Jumeirah Janes prefer big cars. The colour is not important as long as the vehicle is big. Janes’ cars usually have many seats for their children. However, you rarely see any kids in the car, as they are somewhere with the maid.

Hair: Most of these ladies are blonde and they like to do their hair at least once every week.

Designer Labels: Everything they wear must have a designer label – sunglasses, high heels, bags… Most Janes have big handbags, not necessary very expensive or original.

Favorite Topic of Conversation: The maid! Jumeirah Janes are constantly complaining about their maids. The topic is discussed over and over again through the years during their organized coffee mornings and on their preferred online forum.

As it was already mentioned, finding a Jumeirah Jane is not an easy task. Even when you see someone whose look screams “Jumeirah Jane”, she is not likely to say that she is one. Why? Because many consider this term “derogatory”. But what is wrong in being a Jumeirah Jane? These ladies have great lives, according to the understanding of some. They do all the things they want to and yet they sometimes feel ashamed of the emptiness of their existence.

What is more interesting is that most women who are not Jumeirah Janes would be flattered if they are called with that name. And they are right! These ladies are a perfect symbol of expat integration. Despite coming from a foreign country, they managed to become part of the local community, which is not an easy task.

Today, because of the credit crunch, most of the classic Jumeirah Janes are forced to return back to their home countries. They left behind their maids and their whims to go back to their parents. But new Janes are quickly taking their places strolling the malls on their high hills carrying bigger and more expensive  handbags.

Many people don’t realize, but the term Jumeirah Jane is also used to describe an entire social class of expatriates. Usually, Janes come from the middle-class and rise up on the backs of their well paid or wealthy  husbands. However, most of these women do not want to be perceived as being common. That is why they try to lose the stereotype.

The stereotypical Jane also seems to be changing. Today more and more Indian and Pakistani women are adopting this lifestyle, leaving English and Russian Jumeirah Janes in the past.

Classification

Jumeirah Janes can be subdivided into the following types:

1. Original Jane – Today this type of Jane is rare. Her children go to JESS (Jumeirah English Speaking School). She, herself, shops in the Mall of the Emirates and constantly looks under the couch to see whether her maid has cleaned.

2. New Money Jane – She used to work in a shop until her husband introduced her to her new luxurious lifestyle. Now she regularly lunches at the Dubai Mall.

3. Jittery Jane – This one is not so arrogant and confident. However, she does her best to hide that.

4. Ex-Jumeirah Jane – These women do not live in Jumeirah anymore or can’t maintain the lifestyle. They have moved away either due to some economic reasons or because they got tired of the term Jumeirah Jane.

Another related specie is the Jumeirah James. These are men who make a perfect companion to the Janes.