There is no word from MEA Headquarters how many F/O's they need exactly. The only thing that is know is they need as many as they can get at the moment.
MEA has just recently become profitable, posting a 22 million dollar profit for 2003 after operating in the red for many many years. Senior captains are just starting to leave the company as it is finally manageable for MEA.
This year alone there was a good number of senior captains that were able to retire due to the improving condition of MEA. That is why you are seeing the pilot hiring scheme finally come back after a long absence.
In basic terms, MEA will continue to advertise the pilot direct entry scheme until they have reached their desired amount of hires (I dont know the number but it is more than 20.) Now that the requirements have been made public, it will give Lebanese pilots an idea of what they must complete in order to qualify. The next hiring class early next year could have more success due to pilots completing the requirements if they are already close.
I want to clarify also that MEA will send its class of hires to do the type rating course at CAE in Dubai. The self expense portion of testing consists of aptitude, personality and psychology tests in Lebanon and abroad. One of them is done at the Deutschen Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR - German center for air and space travel) in Berlin or Bahrain, and it is a thorough psychology and physical examination which tests fatigue and stress, very high fail rate for those who are not prepared.