Politics

Saudi Arabia’s ‘Sleeping Prince’ dies after 20 years in coma

Published on

July 19, 2025

Saudi Prince Al-Waleed with his father

Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, who became known as the Sleeping Prince after an accident in London about 20 years ago left him in a coma, has died, the royal court announced on Saturday. He was 36.

“His Royal Highness Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has passed away,” the royal court said in a brief statement. Funeral prayers will be held at the Grand Mosque in Riyadh on Sunday.

Al-Waleed was just 15 years old when he was seriously injured in a traffic accident in London in 2005, causing severe brain injuries and internal bleeding. He was in the UK to study as a military cadet.

The teenager went into a coma and, despite treatment from top specialists, never regained full consciousness. His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, refused to withdraw life support and continued to care for him for 20 years.

While he never fully regained consciousness, his family reported occasional movement, including in 2020 when a video showed him lifting his fingers in response to calls from his aunt.

Media outlets and social media users often referred to Al-Waleed as the Sleeping Prince. His death on Saturday came just weeks after a hoax went viral on social media, falsely claiming that Al-Waleed had woken up from his coma.