Arabia’s ‘Sleeping Prince’ Dies After 20 Years in Coma
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid bin Talal Al Saud, widely known as the “Sleeping Prince,” passed away on Saturday at the age of 36, after spending two decades in a coma following a car accident as a teenager. The Global Imams Council confirmed the prince’s death in an official statement posted on social media, expressing condolences to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the royal family. “With deep sorrow and submission to the will of Allah, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to the royal family on the passing of Prince Al-Waleed,” the statement read. Prince Al-Waleed slipped into a coma at age 15 following a severe traffic accident while studying at a military college in the United Kingdom. He sustained critical brain injuries and internal bleeding. Despite years of treatment, including consultations from American and Spanish specialists, the prince never regained consciousness. He remained on life support for 20 years at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. Occasionally, minor movements in his fingers gave rise to hope among family members and supporters, but his condition remained unchanged. His father, Prince Khalid bin Talal, had long refused to withdraw life support, insisting that only God could determine the moment of death. “With full faith in Allah’s destiny and deep sorrow, we mourn the loss of our beloved son, Prince Al-Waleed,” he said in a statement following the prince’s death. Funeral prayers for Prince Al-Waleed will be held on Sunday at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, followed by burial rites.
