MM
Regardless of your financial goals and views towards EK and Dubai, everyone's circumstances are different. You seem quick to ridicule those that embrace their time here and who have decided to invest, both financially and emotionally. Why? Most of us have different goals and plans to achieve them and I'm sure that was true of your ex colleagues in Monarch. How many of them expected a nice lump sum in retirement and the mortgage paid off? Instead, through no fault of their own, they're scrabbling around for jobs all over the World, most desperate to make up a significant financial shortfall in their retirement plans. The point is, nobody knows exactly how things will turn out until the day we finally hang up our flying boots. We're all professionals which equates to being paid for our services. If you see EK purely as an ATM, fine. But don't knock those that like living here and embrace it as I'm sure their downtime is more rewarding and fulfilling than the prison sentence you view Dubai as.
Pools and landscaped gardens you see as a statement to impress others. Maybe those that bought them, bought them for reasons other than just to impress. Ever thought that it was a means to get away from Emirates control, workmates constant whinging and, with a chilled beer, thank EK for giving them an additional $50,000+ every year to help pay for it. Who cares if it's worth half when they leave, EK paid that half! Save your pity and scorn for those more deserving.
May I also suggest you take another look at your contract. All pilots have an open ended contract until NRA, not 3 months like yours.
Unless you think HR is trying to tell you something?
Harry