Direct, Yep and there lies the problem, and why I doubt this rumour.
Why would Emirates offer basings? The answer is most likely- to increase the pool of applicants. That means it will be for new joiners, not those already in. If it was in seniority order, the numbers in the que would be enormous and new guys would not be enticed. Emirates needs more pilots, lots of them and a basing system would do it. What would it do to the morale of those left in Dubai?????? A basing system would likely cause as many problems as it would fix. I'm not holding my breath.