As much as Abu Dhabi and Dubai no doubt are more fun cities to live in, I'm not so sure that Emirates and the unmentionable one are better to work for anymore. QR has slowly and quietly nibbled its way to the top of the Gulf food chain in the past few years, I think. We had the pay rise last year, provident fund introduction this year as well as a decent and fair roster bidding system, a good annual leave system with 42 (guaranteed!) days per year, as well as a strong move towards a more relaxed training regime. Not perfect, we still do our fair share of nighties, but definitely a completely different company compared to a few years ago.
About the salary, there was a good link here a few weeks ago that was spot on.