If you look at widebody international pilots EK is underpaid. After all how many BA, AF. LH, AA and Qantas widebody pilots are beating down the doors to Emirates?
Then take into account how expensive it is in Dubai and we are really behind the 8 ball.
Most consumables cost twice what they are in the states and some things approach 4 times as much. This is quite surprising as Dubai is "tax-free" with slave labor.
It costs me three months salary to educate my kids. Yes that is right 1/4 of my paycheck goes to schools. That figure alone (25%) is more than the tax I was paying in the rust belt of the US. Then include how much it costs me to fly on my own airline, living in Dubai and most Americans are much better off staying in the US even with all of its problems. After all we can get a pretty cheap house now with a "garden" where you can actually have a catch with your kid and a BBQ where everyone is not on top of one another. Why would one want a garden when you can have a yard?