FBW, let's look at some of your statements:
Even a move to the RHS if it was with a good company, and wasn't for too long
First, never move to the right, if not fired or out of job. Second, never trust any indication of time to upgrade, especially in the ME.
Emirates also appeals because it's not hugely far from home
Well, that might have been the case a few years back. With the silly new rules like only 5 days off in a row, rostering with many acclimatisation problems (need you to be in DXB two days ahead of flights) and the flights overfilled with cheap tickets they upgrade and almost no possibility to book confirmed flights for staff, the UAE sort of feels the same distance from home as Antarctica.
... and a company ethos that being largely Expat, is supportive of a wide variety of expat pilots
In that respect you will have a univocal
"not", even from the rare species of happy EK buggers.
rather than a cultural 'them vs us' that I understand
wrong again. It might not be outright racial, but definitely management vs. employees
People generally are more motivated to post when they don't like something, so the large amount of negative posts and the odd blog I suspect don't tell the whole story.
It might not. There is a very good test for that, not only in aviation: Post some rumour about a company/club/community that is not very flattering but borderline possible and check the reactions. In most cases you will trigger many answers of the suspected "silent happy majority".
My bet is you do that for EK today, there will be the obvious bunch confirming that, but only some well known management muppets as positive voices.
Honestly, i don'y know any normal pilot who is happy at the moment!
I know it sounds strange, and i certainly know that the situation is worse at many other places. But a change of job especially to this region needs a bigger ΔT&C to make it worthwhile and stick, especially with a wife and family.
And as has been said before: The situation remains dynamic and the trend is definitely not good.