The Saudi Royal Court announced on Saturday the death of Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, widely known as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince,” after spending 20 years in a coma.
Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled, the eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a member of the Saudi ruling family, and nephew of billionaire businessman Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, has died at the age of 35.
The prince had been in a coma since being admitted to the hospital following a car accident in 2005, when he was 15 years old.
The Saudi Royal Family confirmed the death of “Sleeping Prince” Al Waleed bin Khaled through a post shared by his father, Prince Khaled bin Talal, on X, expressing “profound sadness and sorrow” over the prince’s passing. The post also stated that his funeral will take place in Riyadh on Sunday.
Born in 1990, Al Waleed was the eldest son of Prince Khalid bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a member of the Saudi ruling family. He was also the nephew of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi Arabian billionaire businessman and investor.
The accident that left him bedridden happened in 2005 in the UK. The Prince, then 15 years old, was studying at the London Cadet Academy when he was involved in a horrific car accident in the UK. He suffered a horrific brain injury and internal bleeding, which left him in a coma for almost 20 years. He was later moved to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he has been on life support since 2005.
His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, made the decision to keep his son alive, despite doctors recommending that the Prince be taken off life support. “If God had wanted him to die in the accident, he would have been in his grave now,” he had said.
Specialists from the US and Spain have tried to treat him over the years with no real progress. In early 2017, a medical delegation consisting of four doctors, including three from the United States and one from Spain, arrived in Saudi Arabia to consider performing a surgical operation “to stop the bleeding from his head.”
The sleeping prince has previously been seen moving parts of his body, which was deemed involuntary. His aunt, Princess Reema bint Talal, sister of Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, posted a video of the sleeping prince moving his head from right to left in 2019.
Later, he became known as the ‘Sleeping Prince’. For the past several years, his progress was posted on social media by his family member, who often prayed around him. Messages of support and remembrance would be made online for the prince every year, especially on his birthday. Over the years, Prince Al-Waleed’s room at the hospital had turned into a place for prayer, with many visitors joining the family members to pray for his recovery.
His father often posted heartfelt messages on Ramadan and Eid Al Adha, along with photographs that reflected his faith and hope. (Newswire/The Week)