I'm SV Gold for a reason
I have found it easier to get onto EK for the flights I take, recently (generally RUH/JED/DMM/KWI), with the difference in cost being nominal over SV. This booking 1-2 weeks in advance. I've already hit EK Silver through number of sectors.
Yes, EK's S/H is pretty much a captive market, but I don't think I've ever been on an EK S/H that hasn't been at least almost full. And yes, the planes generally suck.