Saudi 'Sleeping Prince' passes away after two-decade coma

Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid bin Talal Al Saud, affectionately known as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince,” has passed away peacefully at the age of 36, after spending nearly two decades in a coma following a car crash in 2005, his family announced on Saturday.

His death, shared widely on social media, marks the end of a long and heartbreaking chapter that touched hearts across Saudi Arabia and beyond.

He had been in a coma since 2005, when he was just 15 years old, after a car accident in London. He suffered a serious brain haemorrhage and was taken to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.

There, he remained on a ventilator and in a vegetative state for years. Despite consultations with several specialists, he never regained consciousness.

Breaking the news of his demise on social media, Prince Al-Waleed's father wrote an ayah of the Holy Quran, “O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. Enter among My [righteous] servants and enter My Paradise.”

“With hearts that believe in God’s will and decree, and with deep sadness and sorrow, we mourn our beloved son, Prince Al-Waleed Bin Khalid Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God have mercy on him, who passed away today," he added.

Prince Khalid has announced that the funeral prayer will take place on Sunday. Mourning gatherings will be held over the next three days — Sunday, Monday and Tuesday — for those wishing to pay their respects, he said.

The Saudi royal was a military college student when the accident happened.

For two decades, his family stood by his side, holding on to hope for him to come back to life. They looked after him in a medical facility in Saudi Arabia and often shared updates with the public.

In April this year, a video on social media had wrongly claimed the prince had woken up. It showed old footage of him with added text, saying he had regained consciousness after 20 years.

The video quickly went viral, with many believing the news to be true. But it was later confirmed that he had not woken up.