My two cents worth..its hubris. They ( at the top, and some Costa dwellers in middle management), believe EK is the greatest airline in the world to work for, and Dubai is the greatest place in the world to live.
Things have changed. The package EK offer is no longer great. It may still look good on paper, but the reality is different. The arrogance of management knows no bounds, they just keep on changing T and C as they see fit.
Living in Dubai ( in my opinion), has become problematic. Aside from all the problems that have been discussed here before, you are now living in the Middle East, a very very unstable part of the world.
People move to the ME, to be compisated for it, living as Expats. EK has lost sight of this, they think they are offering a product that is the equivalant of moving to Sydney, New York or London. This is far, far, far, from the truth.
The goal posts have moved big time, when I look back,at my 9 years there, I look back at the job I went to, and the job I left. The only similarity was that I flew a 777.
Just my thoughts.