Consumer confidence around the world has been falling as the ongoing recession is causing more people to worry about their jobs and cut household spending.  And although residents of the United Arab Emirates share those concerns, they rank in the top ten of the most optimistic countries of the 52 studied by Nielsen.  The UAE scored a confidence level of 89, compared with other regional neighbors such as Saudi Arabia (79) and Egypt (74).  Globally, Indonesian consumers were the most confident, with a score of 104, followed by the Danes …

Calvin Klein, Christian Dior, and Gucci are the most popular luxury brands among United Arab Emirates shoppers, according to Nielsen survey results released Monday.
Three out of five UAE consumers have shopped at Calvin Klein and Christian Dior, while one in three have shopped at Gucci, Nielsen reported. 
Globally, UAE shoppers ranked as the second biggest purchasers of Gucci (31%) and Chanel (21%), and third in terms of purchases of Giorgio Armani (19%). 
If money were no object, UAE survey respondents named Chanel and Louis Vuitton as the most coveted luxury brands.