This research explores why affluent Emiratis would consume counterfeit luxury products. A fist exploratory quantitative study confirms that Emiratis do purchase counterfeit luxury products ans shows that they associate important performance ans psychosocial risks with counterfeit consumption. Based on 19 in dept interviews, a follow-up qualitative study confirms the prception of performance and psychosocial risks and identifies strategies Emiratis apply to cope with the cognitive dissonance that accors from the perception of these risks. The findings are of major interest for local public policy makers fighting counterfeiting
