Taking the allowance is a no brainer if you see a long term future at Emirates. After 20 years you have a free house! BUT do bear in mind that after the financial crisis it was 2014 (7 years) before prices returned to their 2007 levels and a lot of people were in a lot of negative equity for a lot of years. Also, your long term future at Emirates might depend on the next global pandemic or financial glitch and in any case your career is potentially only as long as your next landing. The property market in Dubai is still maturing and is not a place for widows and orphans.