http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2017/10/26/kingdom-of-saudi-arabia-to-invest-1-billion-in-richard-bransons-space-companies/

For decades, space travel was seen as a risky investment, one that venture capitalists shied away from. But recently, the commercial space industry has attracted a growing number of investors that now includes the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia, which announced Thursday it plans to invest $1 billion in Richard Branson's portfolio of space companies.

In a statement, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al-Saud, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, said the country intended to take a large stake in Branson's ventures in an effort “to enhance the role of innovative technology within the Kingdom’s blueprint for a modern, diversified economy.”