TU,
I don't mean to drag this out too long but here are a few counter points. It is quite easy to work the system at SWA and make good money. Or many other majors for that matter. Just an electronic trade board. As for being taxed back in the USA I still would argue that it is much cheaper to live there. Dubai doubles or triples the price of everything but it's tax free. I would much rather pay 5% tax on something that costs 50% less. That applies to just about anything you consume here or back in the states (food, cars, alcohol, electronics, property, etc). The only two things I can think of that are cheap in Dubai are unskilled labor and gas.
As for property taxes I don't think 1-3% is out of line. Again I would go back to value for the money. What does 300Kusd buy you in dubai? A villa on a lot the size of a postage stamp that might last 15 years before needing renovations. Not to mention the extremely high maintenance fees at most developments in Dubai. What about the 5% municipality tax in Dubai???? In Miami, Vegas, even parts of California 300K would buy you a beautiful property. Are you going to live in company accommodation until you turn 65? Then what? State income tax is a matter of whether you choose to live in a state that has it. It's quite easy to come up with large deductions via property, etc.
I'm not saying EK is bad. At the end of the day you probably do end up with more money in your pocket. It is a very viable career option (assuming nothing goes wrong). But there is a reason the vast majority of american pilots at EK are either from the regionals or furloughees from the majors. I would be very surprised to see somebody resign from SWA, DAL, Fedex, UPS, UAL, AA, etc to come work in the Middle East. That is until the package drastically improves here.