Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled Al Saud, often referred to as the “Sleeping Prince,” has died at the age of 36 after spending nearly two decades in a coma following a car crash.
The Saudi royal was only 15 years old when he suffered a severe brain injury and internal bleeding in a car accident that occurred in London in 2005. Since then, he remained in a coma and was cared for at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he was kept on life support until his passing.
His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, announced the prince’s death in a post on X on Saturday. Expressing deep sorrow, he described his son as beloved and prayed for Allah’s mercy on his soul.
Prince Al-Waleed had been a student at a military college in London before the accident. Despite medical advice and a grim prognosis, his father chose not to remove life support, maintaining hope that his son would eventually wake up.
News of his death has sparked a wave of sympathy across social media, with the phrase “Sleeping Prince” trending as users mourned the royal’s passing. Many shared heartfelt messages and prayers, paying tribute to the young prince and the unwavering love shown by his family.
Funeral prayers will be held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
