"Australia is in active competition with other countries across our region for successful, high-wealth individuals and the capital and business acumen that comes with them, " Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor said last week.

WSJ: Australia Offers Visa for Millionaires

"Australia is in active competition with other countries across our region for successful, high-wealth individuals and the capital and business acumen that comes with them, " Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor said in a statement last week.

WSJ: Australia Attracts More Than $1 Billion in Potential Investment Under Visa Program

Other countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Norway and the United Kingdom are also taking pro-active steps to tackle greenwashing claims through a variety of regulatory, legislative and enforcement efforts.

FORBES: "Greenwashing": Deceptive Business Claims of "Eco-Friendliness"

While large-scale desalination is not uncommon in those parts of the world where natural water resources are scarce -- such as Texas and Australia -- the UAE is by some margin, according to Iannelli, the industry's most active player.

CNN: Counting the carbon cost of bringing water to the desert