I feel that if an airline sets their minimum at 1500, all it does is increase the resume intake. I'm sure they'll take experience in hrs over anything any day. If their initial requirement was say 2500, maybe they set it to 1500 now so that can accept the guy with 2000. I don't think they'll hire the guy with 1501 hrs....
In no way can you compare ME to the States though, different dimension entirely.