Having recently spent a couple of years in the UAE I would not lightly recommend taking a position anywhere there as an unlicenced engineer coming out of Europe, the salary level for a mechanic vs cost of living is just too low. As stated above, the bulk of these guys are from Pakistan/India/Philippines (no disrespect to them, many are damn good mechanics and work very hard) but most live there on a shared basis or have been established there for many years. On the flip side you can work your way up through the GCAA exams and eventually type courses to an engineer level but this usually takes a long time. Probably one of the big pluses with an outfit like EY is that the company growth does offer relatively secure employment and the opportunity to develop yourself if you are keen.
Salary package for an engineer is around Dhs20,000 per month, includes company apartment (some ok some crappy) or the option of taking an allowance (approx Dhs10,000 per month, this will get you a 1 or 2 bedroom flat.........villas or houses start at about Dhs15,000 pm for more distant locations and then go through the ceiling). To give you an idea of costs, my old (small) villa went from Dhs10,000pm to Dhs20,000pm after I moved out. LAEs simply can't afford properties at those prices.
Schooling is very expensive but the big companies take care of most of that cost, last time I checked the 1st year of secondary school was about Dhs45 to 50k per year. About 5k will come out of your pocket.
Traffic? don't even get me started......you will be stressed out by the time you actually make it to work!!!
Overall an interesting place and a valuable experience, I have no regrets about spending time there but don't plan on getting rich.