'Sleeping prince' of Saudi in coma for over 20 years dies
Saudi Arabia's "Sleeping Prince" Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Saud has died after spending more than 20 years in a coma.
The prince's father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, announced his passing on X on July 19.
"With hearts full of faith in God's will and destiny, and with deep sadness and sorrow, we mourn our dear son," Prince Khaled wrote in Arabic, as translated by Google. "May God have mercy on him."
The father also shared a black-and-white photo of Prince Al-Waleed with his eyes closed.
The Royal Court of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also announced Al-Waleed's death.
Born in April 1990, Al-Waleed became known as the "Sleeping Prince," as he had been in a coma since 2005 when he was 15. He was studying as a military cadet in London when he got into a devastating car crash that caused severe brain injuries.
The Sleeping Prince was kept on life support at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, with his father sharing photos from the hospital on X. In the clips, Khaled, family members, and visitors would pray for Al-Waleed.
أدعو الله عز وجل
— خالد بن طلال بن عبد العزيز ( أبو الوليد ) (@allah_cure_dede) December 31, 2024
بإسمه الأعظم وبأسمائه الحسنى و صفاته العلا
الله الذي لا إله إلا هو الحي القيوم وحده لا شريك له
له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير
مع بداية عام 2025
أن يشافي ويعافي
والدتي وابني الوليد
ومرضانا ومرضى المسلمين pic.twitter.com/FGIv1yhRHG
Despite intensive treatment, the prince never regained full consciousness but would occasionally show small involuntary movements, as per Gulf News.
Prince Khaled, a member of the Saudi royal family, is the brother of billionaire Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud and one of the grandsons of Saudi Arabia's founder, King Abdulaziz.
