I believe that you haven't tried LH flying with an airline like QR that schedules you like short haul with non EASA ftl. All guys coming from Ryanair say they never been so fatigued in Ryr as in QR.
Never the less most people all know better and still join.
Try to sum up advantages up both here (airline and city)
Emirates
- Slightly better working culture with less threatening than QR
- Way more western expats in Dubai and EK, Qatar and QR is very east, se Asian.
- Can meet Cabin Crew as they aren't locked up and discouraged to meet pilots as QR
- Pick up from accommodation (Qr does not offer this)
- Better accommodation although some still poor but the ones in QR are definitely worse.
-Dubai offers the opportunity to eat a sandwich in a mall during Ramadan by day, Qatar is strict and everything is closed for a whole month during daytime.
- Dubai offers multiple options to buy alcohol and pork. Qatar only 1 store in the whole country.
- Buying properties is easier in Dubai than Qatar and likely to be more valuable than a sinking building at the Pearl which can't be sold easily. If you plan to stay longtime that might be an important issue.
- lots of stuff to do with nightlife available in Dubai
- Lots of entertainment in Dubai
- Public beaches don't need Muslim style swim wear, In Qatar swimming in Bikini is for hotels only.
- Entering a mall for Women wearing few clothes would be acceptable in Dubai not Qatar.
- Qatar has still Familiy only malls where males alone aren't welcome at weekends.
- Qatar spies a lot on Social media, firing staff for whatsapp texts, Facebook pictures or an Instagram post.
-Qatar asks staff to pay for part of the uniform such as suitcases (not sure EK does this)
-Qatar Airways crew meals from Qatar are inedible, few pilots ate them thus the company is now removing them replacing them with a granola bar.
QR
- Save more money as there is few to do in Qatar.
-Families with young children generally enjoy Qatar with a safe environment and little traffic compared to Dubai. Life is just more quiet than down South
- Hamad Airport is very convenient with usually little queus as few people enter / leave Doha. Might be one of the easiest airports in the world.
-Smallness of Doha can be convenient with less bigger malls and city it is easier to get around.
-Kids education allowance better than EK
-Training in Qr seems better than EK.
I'm not sure what expat life you're looking for, in Qatar you'll never be at home thus don't see what life you look for there you'll be in the plane all the time. You'll be sleeping on the little time you have off in Doha or trying to go home. Doha is pretty similar to Abu Dhabi. Many friends not working in the airline but working in other gulf countries like Kuwait, Bahrain and UAE say they find Qatar the least welcoming of all.
In essence EK is better at all points nearly unless you have a family and a wife who doesn't mind not seeing you a lot of the time. Life for families with small kids in Doha is relatively nice.
There is a lot more to consider but whether people warn or not most know better and join anyway thus not worth mentioning
If you're single I Definitely would go EK. Also bear in mind if you're a f/o, commands are long and difficult process in both airlines where a single mistake can set you back years in the queue. Flying 140 block hours a month with up to 12h jetlag and mostly by night takes a toll on your health.