If you've run up 50k in debt, and it's due to poor money management skills, going to the ME won't help a bit. As many of EK's finest demonstrate on a constant basis, more disposable income only increases one's ability to take on more debt. It boggles the mind, the wasted opportunity. Of course this isn't to suggest that your own debt was due to poor decisions, but you mentioned it as a big factor in your decision to look at Emirates. A mistake, in my opinion. It's just a crapshoot and certainly anyone coming for the foreseeable will be at the lower end of the pay spectrum for a long time. It will just take a lot longer, trying to realize any potential benefit.
I would do some serious research into FATCA and how that will affect US expats in the future. Already many banks and financial institutions won't allow "US Persons" to open accounts, and are closing accounts of Americans. The ones that will accept US clients will most certainly be reporting all financials to the IRS so could possibly negate any tax benefit anyway.
But financial motivation aside, unless you're unemployed or working at some regional for peanuts I wouldn't even give a second's thought to leaving one of the most beautiful cities in the world to live in the world's most overrated.
Looking for a career, not just a job.
EK might have been a career once, but it's definitely just a job now.