I'm not the first to say it, but the Middle East airline that comes up with a realistic package allowing expat pilots to fly 'n' weeks on, 'n' weeks off - and spend their days off and fly a pattern that starts and ends in the home (non M.E.) port, that airline will magically solve much of its pilot shortage problem in one fell swoop.
(Hint to the HR department weenie of whatever M.E. airline who may be reading this. Make it your own idea. Take it in to head office and sell it and you'll be the hero who saved the day - and maybe a few aircraft not being parked against the airfield boundary 'for painting', which is the current excuse given to its owners for having aircraft on the ground at one particular M.E. airline.)