I spent three weeks in the UAE and i've worked on some projects over there. If I had to live anywhere in the Arabian Peninsula as an architect, i'd probably choose the UAE. The pay seemed to be generally decent for experienced expats, but I can't say if this is true for junior level positions. Either way, I would say it's a place to work temporarily... it's such a boom/bust economy.
Dont get me wrong on this, but whats your race? They routinely tend to pay more to white people, even though one might be at the same position as someone from Asia. Just saying.