Hi Macco,
I'm Boeing, so can only give you answers from where I sit. It's worth realising, though, that even if Mr Macco is an Airbus pilot, he may still be placed on the 777. It just depends on the requirements at the time.
Time to command on the Boeing is running pretty much minimum and will be for a few years yet (still around 50 on order) so three years for a normal entry, less if he qualifies for accelerated command.
The bus has blown out to 4-4 1/2 years, but the trend seems to be reducing (had freinds have their courses brought forward 6 months recently) and by the time your turn comes, 380s will be arriving, so I think 3-4 years is a fair estimate.
Can't give you a 'bus roster, but it is a mix of long and shorter haul. there is a bit of everything and, when in the top couple of positions, you can get a very good roster. Down the bottom you can expect a lot of night turn-arounds to the sub-continent.
As to traffic- My wife had real problems with it for the first six months. She has adapted much better now, learnt to drive defensivley, and is coping much better. If you were to be housed at DSO (not a guarentee) and had the kids in, say, Royal Dubai in Mirdif (have friends with kids there, they seem to like it), you would be avoiding most of the traffic hot-spots. It is inevitable, though, that at some time you will be on the bad roads (E.G Skiek Zayed, Emirates Road) and it can be harrowing. All I can say is that we have learned to live with it.
As you probably know, the Dirham is tied to the US dollar. The greenbacks slide has meant 1) devaluation of the salary compared to other currencies and 2) high inflation in Dubai. The up side is that, if you go into company accomodation, most of your major expenses are paid by the company. I think it is fair to say you can lead a pretty good lifestyle on an FOs pay, and as a Captain we are managing to save a reasnoble amount.
It also seems inevitable that we will get another pay rise as EK is having trouble attracting crew, and there is now real pressure on the UAE government to re-value the Dirham.
As I said to you previously, come with the right attitude, and you can make a good life here. Just bear in mind that there are many who don't, and have a very honest appraisal of which you think you will be!
Best of luck.