What this signifies, Lean Technologies CEO and co-founder Hisham Al-Falih told CNBC, is that "this is a huge vote of confidence for their view of the growth trajectory that Saudi is on and the potential that it has over the next decade."

The kingdom is pushing ahead with Vision 2030, its initiative to diversify its economy away from oil and create new jobs and industries for the overwhelmingly young Saudi workforce. Now more than ever, the kingdom wants foreign capital and direct investment coming into Saudi Arabia rather than flowing out of it, allowing for local employment, knowledge transfer and training, and the development of a variety of sectors.