Flytiger,
I work for Emirates as a captain and examiner on the Airbus fleet. I believe I can set your fears at ease when it comes to the standard of "pilots based there" as you call it. At Emirates we have the highest standards, as evidenced by external audits done by IOSA and other independent entities, and from what I see as an examiner in the simulator and on the airplane. I would be a lot more concerned to fly with the so called Legacy Carriers where redundancies and furloughs lead to lack of motivation and deteriorating standards in their crew.
Emirates hired about 500 highly qualified and trained First Officers last year, many of these from these same Legacy Carriers. We have a rigorous training program and offer one of the fastest career paths in the industry for those that qualify. One of the problems at the Legacy Carriers is the lack of recruitment and training due to the problems in the industry the last decade. This leads to stagnation in the training departments as little or no new joiner and upgrade training is required, thereby lowering the standard of the Flight Ops departments as a consequence.
When I discuss this with my former colleagues at my previous airline (one of the large Legacy Carriers in Europe) they ecco my sentiments. Standards have dropped and motivation is at an all time low. At Emirates we have the opposite problem - training is at an all time high. We are flat out, but I am proud to say that we don't compromise on our very high standards. Our newly hired First Officers and newly promoted Captains have my utmost confidence. I should know, I am one of the gatekeepers of that high standard.
So Sir, next time you fly Emirates rest assured you are in the most capable hands in the industry!
Tajfaa