ex-engr
Hi tangpig,
I was an engineer with EK until a few months ago. Am now F/O with another carrier. Spent 17 yrs at EK, with the last 6 - 7 yrs as an engineer. Absolutely loved it there. Great colleagues, great support from mgmt (atleast in my dept). I left because I wanted to fly.
It all depends on where you get posted.
i.e.
Line Maint: turnarounds, weekly checks, flying duties)
Base Ops: A-checks, AOG's (including outstation), non-scheduled major jobs (engine chg, LDG chg, etc)
or Base Heavy: C-chks and D-chks
Work pattern in LM & B/Ops is 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off's. (0600-1800)
Resources are definitely limited: i.e. lack of manpower, not enough vehicles, etc. so you will feel pushed at times. However, tools and spares are never a problem. The facilities are impressive.
You may be required to do a lot of overtime, and it's not ENTIRELY at your descretion. You do need to put in the extra time when asked/told. Expect to work on atleast 1 of your 4 off days, everytime (in L/M). Having said that, no one will force you to work when genuinely tired/fatigued.
Brace yourself for the temperatures. 50degC in summer on the ramp for up to 4 months!
In L/M, you end up signing from 5 to 13 aircraft per shift. 8-10 is an average figure.
Post 2008 recession, cost of accomodation in Dubai is not a big issue for an EK Engineer. You will be able to find something decent within the allowance provided. If you plan to stay long-term, you should also be able to afford a mortgage within the allowance. Company provided accomodation is also decent. Since this is such a subjective issue, I suggest you come down here and have a look for yourself.
If you've not been to the Middle East, be prepared for culture shock. Having said that, there are also enough private clubs, beaches, malls, etc. for you to lose yourself in. You must have read about people getting arrested for having sex on the beach, DUI, etc., but that would happen in a lot of western countries too, so there's nothing medival or arcane about that. Use your common sense and don't intentionally be a menace to society.
If you're married, and your wife stays at home, she may be the one with a bigger problem, as she might end up feeling a bit lost, and may take much longer to adjust.
Hope all this helps. I don't want to discuss actual numbers in public, but feel free to talk about any other doubts you may have.