Environmentalists say that polluting corporations only fund Middle East conservation projects as a "greenwash" policy.
The US conservation movement is regularly derided for its willingness to take "dirty money" from Big Oil. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, those same companies are funding significant conservation projects with no such scrutiny.
Exxon Mobil, Dow Chemical and Ford Motors fund conservation projects such as the Emirates Diving Association which protects marine life, IFAW Middle East , which fights the illegal trade in animals - as well as Al Yaal that works to protect Kuwait's marine ecosystems. And all without strong criticism from either environmentalists or conservationists.
Those involved in these projects state that they do not see any problem taking funding from companies which are believed to cause environmental damage - if they are working together to protect nature.
Wahab Al Ghanim, the managing partner of en.v, which is behind the Al Yaal initiative to protect Kuwait's marine environment remarked: "The way I see it, all these companies are not going anywhere, so we may as well try and do something positive together and reverse some of the [environmental] damage that has been done, whether by individuals, companies or governments."
The small environmental movement in the region also means that few activists are raising any questions about the motives of companies behind such projects and whether they are simply being used for "greenwash", where companies feign environmental concern to make themselves look better without doing anything substantive.
Wael Hmaidan, the director of IndyACT- an independent organisation of activists based in Lebanon which campaigns on environmental issues - spoke to Al Jazeera from Bonn, where he is currently taking part in the latest UNFCCC climate negotiations.
"I do think that there are some corporations taking advantage of the fact that the Middle East has a weak environmental and civil society and are bringing projects here that wouldn't be accepted in more aware countries."
"I can't think of any other region that is doing worse than the Middle East in terms of environmental awareness. So, when we talk of recognizing greenwash I would say that there are very few of us who would spot it and criticize it in the region."
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