The lure of the Middle East will be stronger than ever is my guess.
Yes T+Cs have been eroded but back here in UK it’s hardly a bed of roses.
Ignoring way of life in Dubai and culture which is personal preference when you crunch numbers still some serious money can be saved or enjoyed.
Comparing Dubai to London. City to city I found prices are pretty even. When I was there last year a meal out with family was around 300-400AED. Same as in London at a local pub however the portions were more in Dubai. After every meal we would take food away with us.
When you start adding tax in Dubai becomes attractive.
Ok so FO EK Earns 30k AED a month
To earn that in UK you would need £130k a year at least.
That’s not even adding accommodation.
Start adding up all the extras and how much can you save?
Say you work at LHR for BA. Spend £300 1500 AED a month in fuel but you need to earn £600 before tax to pay that £300 fuel bill.
That’s just one example.
Not saying you shouldn’t be given a pay rise. Whole industry needs to bump up but compared to some salaries in EU/UK land ME carriers looking attractive.