CTC and Dubai myths
1. CTC was exclusively conducting ALL recruitment for FZ until Jan 2015. There was no separate Dubai assessment process. The few assessment events that did take place in Dubai were also conducted by CTC. From now on, at least some assessments will be conducted in Istanbul. Whether CTC is still managing those events as well is not clear.
2. I have flown with pilots from all over the world at FZ who passed through the Southampton assessment, and I know a LOT of pilots who came to the Dubai assessment and did not make it in. So despite what everyone would like to believe (that CTC is British-biased and it is all a huge conspiracy) there is no real evidence for this.
3. The best place to get your assessment is the one you feel most comfortable with: the cheapest, easiest to get to, the place you can feel more familiar with.
4. The assessment is not super difficult but it is something you definitely have to prepare for. The main FZ thread is full of valuable feedback from candidates, so I suggest you read it for information (not OPINIONS) before going to the assessment.