Certainly would be a lot more palatable than moving your entire family over to the Middle East for some people. Others might enjoy the cultural experience for the kids. Some nationalities might prefer moving to Abu Dahbi while others will want to avoid it due to family limitations. Regardless, if the OPTION is offered it could be a big talent differentiator for EY as they load up on new Boeing and Airbus heavies. EY and the other Gulf carriers will need more and more experienced pilots in the future - and retention of experienced pilots is key.

IMO, both EK and QR would become relatively less attractive to many experienced applicants if their HR policies remained the same. Will be interesting to see the final details.