Debit and credit cardholders in the UAE swiped up a storm at the end of last year.
Last year's top 10 days for total charges to MasterCards in the country were all in the final quarter, data to be released today by MasterCard Worldwide show.
In the final three months, cardholders spent as much as 42 per cent above the daily average for all of last year.
"There's an increased confidence in the market in general," says Eyad al Kourdi, the vice president and country manager for the UAE at MasterCard Worldwide. "People have regained confidence in the economy, as well as their working life, and want to enjoy things in life."
Specific kinds of products were charged to plastic more regularly on certain dates last year.
Sales of electronic appliances surged to their highest level during Gitex Technology Week, the largest IT exhibition in the Middle East.
And the day after UAE National Day in December saw a surge in spending at restaurants, while New Year's Eve rounded out the year as the top day for charges in the food and beverage industry.
