But that's the point... Build it and they will come! It would create demand, and based on the fact that Emirates probably already has a ton of passenger and cargo contracts in the region going East, chances are some of them might go, or want to go west, and could pick Emirates
Emirates is a big name in the region, United not so much. I'm not denying that it would be hard for the first few years to get the ball rolling but if anyone knows what they're doing, it's Emirates