As BigMan said, it is a personal choice. Right now I guess for a single guy or couple without kids at school, the 40K a month on offer at UAE Area in Abu Dhabi beats Dubai or AUH APP, but if you are married with kids then the education allowance and big accomodation allowance in Dubai makes it more attractive than UAE Area. In saying that though everything costs more in Dubai, whether its food, booze or going out.
If the question is not about money, and more about work, we all work our backsides off. We are all severely understaffed. We all need better equipment. We all need a proper flow system. We all moan about management. We all lose any increases we get to the tumbling US dollar. So take your pick. 6 of one half a dozen of the other (although the Area controllers are better looking and better lovers
)