As far as support from dispatch, SMNC etc., my experience has been that they are more often a hindrance than a help.
EK Dispatch is critically undermanned (now where have we heard that before) and just don't have the time to devote proper care to the production of flight plans etc.. They are operating at 120% capacity on a good day.
Here is an opinion. Do we all have the the same opinion? Do other Gulf (and others outside) pilots think the same of their ground supporting staff?
I'm sure many of you have addressed this issue (and others) internally. I find it appalling the levels of training, retraining and consequently the licensing of the ground staff in this part of the world. Only the UAE requires licensed Dispatchers and some of these licenses are just "given away". I believe the screening and the issuance of llicenses is harder at the school levels (obviously, I'm referring to the DXB school only).