Quite a reasonable question, uplock, and it deserves a reasonable answer.
Although I do not not work for a large pax airline now, I have in the past (2 actually) and I found myself rostered off on several occasions due to reaching the maximum allowed flying hours.
HOWEVER, these airlines had quite a good overtime schedule, so it certainly paid well to fly to the max.
If EK does not do this, they are very mis-guided, and will more than likely find FD crew looking elsewhere, as I'm sure some are doing now.
My motto...fly 'em hard, but pay 'em well.