Sig stay in the states, that is the best advice anyone can give. The pilots replying do not live or work in the states and probably never have so they don't know the difference. Even though the US has gone down in recent years it is still leaps and bounds better than the rest of the world and not just in pay.
In the middle east there are no rights and a contract is to protect the company from you, not you from the company. There are four items in my "contract" that the company does not honor.
There is no unions (they are outlawed for obvious reasons) so the company does whatever they want.
The flying is very tough. 90 plus hours with all kinds of bad flying. In the middle of the night and east west flying.
There is no FAA and the ATC is very bad.
If you come you will be in for a big shock of how things operate in the middle east, both with Emirates and Dubai.
I left a good airline and regret if big time. I wish I could go back but I will forever be an ex-pat and it sucks. No protection and you get screwed everytime you read your emails. Keep that in mind when you resign your senority number.
Most Americans are looking to go back. Some are not even wait to check out as captain. Think long and very hard about coming over.
The pilots defending the company are doing you a big disservice and probably are management anyway.