Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled Al-Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family who became known globally as the “Sleeping Prince,” has died at the age of 36 after spending nearly two decades in a coma following a car accident.
The prince, then 15, sustained severe brain injuries and internal bleeding in a 2005 crash while studying at a military academy in London. He never regained full consciousness and had remained on life support at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh since the incident.
His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, confirmed the death in a statement posted Saturday on X, formerly Twitter.
“With hearts believing in Allah’s will and decree, and with deep sorrow and sadness, we mourn our beloved son,” the prince wrote.
Prince Khaled, a nephew of the late King Abdullah, remained publicly steadfast in his belief that his son would recover, consistently rejecting medical recommendations to end life support over the years.
News of the prince’s death has drawn an outpouring of condolences across the Arab world, with the phrase “Sleeping Prince” trending on social media platforms. Messages of sympathy praised the family’s devotion and expressed sorrow over the long ordeal.
“Your time on earth was a blessing to your family and the world in general,” one post read. Others praised the family’s endurance and the father’s unwavering commitment.
Funeral prayers for the late prince are scheduled to be held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
Prince Al-Waleed was part of the influential Al Saud dynasty, though he held no official government role. His condition had attracted international attention, serving as a rare and prolonged case of a royal family member remaining in a persistent vegetative state under public view for nearly two decades.
