I find EK Plat is useful and maybe easier to earn not based in Dubai. Think about it - if you, a Dubai resident, want to fly anywhere - it's a single direct flight and you're paying through the nose for it.
I, based elsewhere in the network - it's 2 flights to get to the same destination (I'm earning more tier miles than you) and probably cost me less than it cost you ex-DXB.

Upgrades - I see those QF Platinums getting upgrades, and I wonder ... EK is doing.
QF Plat is on par with EK Gold in terms of difficulty to earn- and the value of a QF Plat to EK is more on par with a Silver (as the QF member likely flies QF as home carrier).

There's good logic to not flying the home country airline where you reside.