Hello Dune,
I think it's essential to have two sides to every story! That way anyone can weigh it all against their own beliefs, motivations and values.
About EK being a retirement place,...I don't know if you can really say that about any airline anymore. But I do see your point about being really cautious in hanging your future there. As far as career, my motivations to go include being a part of and contributing to a world class airline. Something that I cannot do here in the US, at least for the next 5-7 years.
As for my wife (kids are in the near future), we both agree that it would be an adventure as well as a great privelage to go out in the world and expand our cultural experiences, whether it be the UAE or Singapore, or somewhere else. The most difficult aspect of this all, for me at least, is whether she would be happy there or not for the length of the contract at a minimum. That is why I think it would be invaluable for wives to get on here or start a new thread to put in their thoughts. How much freedom or lack of it will she have in the normal course of a day? Will she have to worry about problems with the morality police? Is DXB as strict as Saudi Arabia? These are some questions that we have....any of you guys have any input as to what your wives have to deal with, both pros and cons? What do they do there on a general basis? Does she work, go out often, have any social interactions with neighbors, fellow expat wives etc??

EK birdcage, thanks for your input! Your post made me laugh as I can recall some good nights sleep traded for trying to keep up with the crazier crowd! But yes, I assume that there are all types in every airline. Glad your process was speeded along with inside help, as I have been fortunate to have been in that position in the past! I will have to wait for another job fair around here, because I have no one on the inside there in EK. Anyone there gonna be in BOS anytime soon, so I can buy ya a drink? lol!
Seriously, I am interested in what will happen with the ATLAS ACMI deal going forward for what it bods for EK and for atlas and their crews going forward.

That article from the washington post btw was very very good! It doesn't surprise me much to hear that you can have a spare no expense high rise not too far from a slum (who's tenants, built said high rise). You see this round the world. Sounds like DXB is trying to pull the middle east out of it's decades of decay and squandor be being a model of what it should be like (as far as taking and adopting capitalism). It was a downer to read about the trasnplanted bangladeshi, but unfortunately that same sorry scenario can be played round the world as well, especially here in the US with regards to illegals.
One question that I have for you guys/gals is how would you rate the healthcare there? the article talked about how before you had to leave to find it, is it there now, or still on the way?
To have little red tape get in the way of business actually surprises me for a muslim culture....am i naive or does it seem that other ME countries have rolls of it when it comes to trying to do things there as compared to DXB.
Seems like the city's diversity echoes that of EK. I believe that an airport is a window to it's respective city. From what I have heard, both the airport and city (macro view) have similar expansion underway. Both have growing revenues as well as growing pax and cargo #'s that supports the cities expansion plans for itself and for it's region.
What has surprised me was how little bush and his policies have impacted day to day talk (at least from what the article said) and that the failure of the dubai ports deal was seen as more as a failure on their part surprised me, because i thought that this would be a great chance for the bears to launch their anti captialism campaigns against reform from the old style.

If i were there, I would be worried about the inflation situation, and how that will play out with Ek's housing allowances and if people will be asked to fork over $$ to stay where they are and what EK will do about this.....
I just think that at some point, there has got to be a correction due, but that wont come until something drastic happens (terrorist action) or when the cost of doing business makes DXB economically unviable.

Unless I am missing something, it seems like (from the article) that Dubai, is on track to becoming a beacon of sorts for the entire middle east. It's black eyes I think echo what has happened in other parts of the world when they were developing as fast as they could, too often with less than desirable effects. Take the gold rush here in the US, post depression, the recession post world war II, the lack of rights, safe work environments, decent pay etc etc...and it seems like that cycle is repeating itself in Dubai.

So like Anthony Shadid said in the article, I just hope that what he said comes true at some point for Dubai to truly be a model of how it should be done.

"The only limitations are your own limitations," he said matter of factly. "No one tells you that it cannot be done, that it should not be done. The only pushback has always been let's do it bigger, let's do it better, AND LET'S DO IT SMARTER".