Although the schedules are padded to account for DXB ground delays, there is only so much they can pad.
It is a fact that EK's direct operating costs are below those of the European/American legacy carriers.
I think that ultimately this was done to protect hub connections. EK's bread and butter is the transfer of pax and cargo, and protecting that transfer is essential to the bottom line. Hence the recent and significantly cheaper cost of fuel allows them to fly faster albeit burning slightly more, to ultimately improve OTP and reduced missed connections, without increasing the fuel bill (if the price stays under $80). And the added benefit of squeezing a few more flights out of the same crew.