Let's make up some possible figures to see why this is good business practice for EK to get everyone to Meydan.
Simple workable numbers for ease...ALL AED
Annual living out allowance or private ownership (company) paid rent is 200k pa.
Cost to EK per Meydan South 4 bed house is 700k and the land is free cost.
700k / 200k is 3.5 years to pay off the cost of each Meydan build. After 3.5 years each pilot is 200k more profitable to the company pa.
I can foresee the company offering ALL employees the opportunity for company housing. By saying that, those that live out or who own their own property have the choice to move back into company and let out their "home". If you chose to stay in your own home then you will be paying your own mortgage as you would back home (the non visa requirement home).
The company has the housing for all, take it or leave it (stay or go). The profits will soar even higher along with the taxes that will be introduced and increased year on year. The new norm is here, the brown bucket is filling up a lot quicker than the "other" bucket which seems to be getting much lighter as time moves on.
J