Beloved Royal Prince Dies at Age 36
In 2005, life looked promising for Prince Al Waleed Bin Khalid Bin Talal Al Saud.
In addition to being royalty, he was enrolled in a military academy in Great Britain. That's when his life took a tragic turn when he was just a teen.
The prince was in a "severe car accident" that left him in a coma for the next 20 years, earning him the moniker the "sleeping prince," according to Gulf Today. His family kept a vigil at his bedside, hoping against hope that he might wake back up. But it was not to be.
The sleeping prince has died. The tragic ending was confirmed by his father Prince Khalid Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz, Gulf Today reported.
According to the Saudi Gazette, millions of people had followed the story of the sleeping prince over the years, hoping he might regain consciousness.
There were "episodes of limited movement that offered fleeting moments of hope," the site reported, noting that his father "firmly resisted removing life support."
The prince died on July 19, according to that site.
After spending two decades in a coma, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al-Saud has sadly passed away.
— Ashen Tharaka (@AshenTharakaG) July 19, 2025
Prince Al-Waleed had been in a coma since a car accident in 2005, and updates about his condition had long been a subject of public attention and sympathy. pic.twitter.com/5ZFmi768zS
The Mirror reported that the sleeping prince was 36 years old when he died.
He was only 15 years old when he was in the car accident in London, that site reported, so he grew into adulthood in the coma.
Prince Waleed "suffered severe brain injuries and internal bleeding in the accident," according to the Mirror, which quoted his father as saying, "With hearts believing in Allah 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."
Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, famously known as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince” due to his prolonged unconscious state, passed away today, Saturday, July 19. He was 36 years old.
— Hespress English (@HespressEnglish) July 19, 2025
The Prince had spent nearly 20 years in a coma, a condition that garnered him… pic.twitter.com/8fFHH55JAm
Over the years, a number of sad photos emerged on social media of the sleeping prince in his hospital bed.
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