Well, now Emirates and Qatar have lower their requirements for first officer. Pilots no longer need to stopover in the far east to get their wide body type rating to join ME3. It's only a matter of time before things will improve. Even Ryanair recognised BALPA, miracle do exist!
http://www.emiratesgroupcareers.com/pilots/
To join us as a First Officer you should have experience on multi-engine, multi-crew, turboprop and/or jet aircraft, including business jets with:
Minimum of 2000 hrs on MTOW ≥ 20T
OR
Minimum of 3000 hrs on MTOW between 10T & 20T
On top of this you will need to have:
A valid ICAO ATPL (or USA equivalent) with an unrestricted class one medical certificate
Pilots with Frozen ATPL, type rated on Airbus or Boeing, can be invited for the selection process on the proviso that they obtain a full ATPL, if successful, prior to joining.
English language fluency to ICAO English level 4 or above
Flown at least 150 hrs within the last 12 months on an aircraft with MTOW ≥ 10T