'Sleeping Prince' Dead at 36 After Spending 20 Years in Coma
A “sleeping prince” who spent 20 years in a coma has died at 36, People reported.
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, known colloquially as the “Sleeping Prince,” died last week at a Saudi Arabian medical center. His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, first announced the tragic news on X. "With hearts believing in Allah’s will and decree, and with deep sorrow and sadness, we mourn our beloved son: Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud—may Allah have mercy on him—who passed away today," Al Saud wrote.
Prince Al-Waleed remained in a coma from the age of 15 following a 2005 car accident, which occurred while he was attending military college in London. He sustained internal bleeding and severe brain injuries and was transported to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he remained on a ventilator until his death. Doctors advised Al Saud that his son would likely never wake from his coma, but that didn’t stop the father from asking for prayers from the public nearly every day for the last 20 years.
Related: 'Gangster Granny' Sentenced to Decades Behind Bars
Al-Waleed’s father opted to keep his son on life support for the following two decades. Though his son never regained consciousness, Al Saud often shared videos of Al-Waleed moving his hands and fingers. Over the years, the father ventured to his son’s hospital bed to celebrate holidays, birthdays, and other milestones. In addition to his family members, Al-Waleed also attracted visitors from around the world who wished to honor the “Sleeping Prince.”
{يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ، ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً، فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي، وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي}
— خالد بن طلال بن عبد العزيز ( أبو الوليد ) (@allah_cure_dede) July 19, 2025
بقلوب مؤمنة بقضاء الله وقدره وببالغ الحزن والأسى ننعى إبننا الغالي
الأمير الوليد بن خالد بن طلال بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود رحمه الله
الذي انتقل… pic.twitter.com/QQBbMWGOOG