OMAAbound, congratulations on passing the assessment and good luck with the upgrade.
The thing is, many people do end up in UAE only to find that life is much more difficult and/or depressive then what was expected. You can be caught up in this without realising it until it's too late. Fatiguing rosters and frustration from company related issues certainly does not help. I had to laugh when the government opened up a ministry for happiness or whatever it's called! I do believe many people are sucked into the ME3 believing that only the depressive fools have a hard time dealing with life over there, but I beg to differ. The fact that a lot of information about AUH airline is no longer accessible via this forum, and the fact that the airline in the past has gone to court and hunted down those who bad-mouthed them on the forum, tends to shut a lot of their pilots' mouths, therefore making it hard for a wannabe to seek opinions and experiences of the place or airline via the forum.
Whilst I wasn't complaining or moaning as I have no need to, I was putting what came to mind about general day to day life experience in the UAE onto keyboard in a direct and raw manner. I do hope it benefits some by making them think a little bit harder and therefore research more about life in UAE before uprooting themselves and the family to come here. I do apologise if some people took this the wrong way and it by no means was a racially prejudiced attack on anyone. If that's how some people want to take it, good for them and I couldn't give a sh*t anyway. But everything said was based on my experience and judging by other responses, other people's experience also.
And sometimes it's just NOT what they signed up for. Look at the latest 330/340 Captains now going to right seat of a 380 debacle that is happening at EK - just another classic example.
I do agree that many moaners complain yet won't get off their ass and do something to actively change their status - these people are definitely annoying.
Interesting to see EK's advert for pilots showing a picture of young punk sand-boarding...oh how times have changed! and someone hit the nail on the head in a previous post about who they are now targetting. The young punk will most likely not have a wife or family, and will tend to place a higher value on the importance of that shiny white jet than some of the quality of life issues that a more mature audience will think is more important. Yes guys you can go sandboarding or dune bashing on your days off - but this and other hobbies is not a measure or factor in quality of life. It's merely a hobby in which you can do in UAE. The fact that the EK pilot recruitment uses this in their advert again makes me laugh. Come on guys, you are looking for professional pilots, your not selling lifestyle or quality of life here - don't even try, it's an insult.