Pint of Stella may have been a bit emotional, but taking everything at face value, life here is pretty cr@p so in that respect I guess he is right.
I am far too busy for the money paid to me, I do not get enough remuneration for the constant upheaval to family life. No stability in where I live, I am constantly worried about whether my villa complex will be the next one to raise its rents and then Emirates to say to me leave for another villa (at my own expense!) or pay the difference. I get fed up with my managers telling us if you don't like it here then leave. I get no encouragement or thanks for a job well done, but I called into the office when things go wrong, even when I have been in the right. There's lots and lots of things that could be mentioned but what the person before said is true, that there are very few lies on here.
Despite only a few people saying things here, remember also that there are a huge number of pilots here who are unhappy, but very afraid to say something here because they fear that they could be traced. The ones that are happy, are not here for very long before they see that Dubai is just like any other false city like Las Vegas or somewhere like that.
The pilots are changing here, not many from the western world are joining and thats fine, but I really enjoyed flying with mates who share a common sense of humour and enjoy a few bevs after the duty.
Just like every one I talk to, I wish I knew what I was letting myself in for before I signed. My advice for what it is worth? Get a half decent job in your home country, working as an expat just is not what it is cracked up to be. The big money jobs and the great lifestyle are well gone. And they were the only reason any body became an expatriate.
It comes down to the two buckets story, the one where on arrival you get issued two buckets. One for money, the other for sh1t. When one is full, you leave. But I know no one who has left in the last two years with his bucket full of cash.
Good luck in your decision, but remember that the Emirates
PR machine is a powerful force. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.