Prince Al Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, popularly known worldwide as the Saudi Arabia’s ‘Sleeping Prince’, has died after spending 20 years in a coma.
Prince Khaled bin Talal announced on Saturday, July 19 that his son had died, stating that his funeral will be held on Sunday, July 20 at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, following Asr prayer.
In April 18, 2025, the Sleeping Prince turned 36, marking nearly two decades since he slipped into a coma following a tragic car accident in the United Kingdom.
The prince had been in a coma since being admitted to hospital following the accident in London in 2005.
The accident occurred in 2005 while the prince was studying at a military college. Since then, he has remained unconscious, sustained by life support at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. The son of a billionaire prince, Al-Waleed has become a symbol of unwavering familial hope in the face of medical adversity.
In 2015, a panel of doctors recommended withdrawing life support, citing a lack of progress. However, Prince Khaled refused. “If God had wanted him to die in the accident, he would have been in his grave now,” he told media outlets at the time. His defiant hope has captured both national and international attention over the years.
In 2019, the royal family announced minor signs of responsiveness — slight head movements and a raised finger — stirring a brief wave of optimism. Since then, however, there has been no significant progress reported.
#Saudi royal Prince Waleed bin Khaled who was in a coma for the past 14 years moves his head for the first time in a clip that went viral online pic.twitter.com/jyX9yKTBoo
— RT (@RT_com) May 28, 2019
As the prince’s birthday passed this year, social media was awash with messages of support and prayer. “Hopefully, he wakes up soon. God, almighty bless him,” one user posted on X, a sentiment echoed across the platform.
Sleeping prince of Saudi Arabia
— Tayyaba Amjad (@Tyy_Am7) April 22, 2025
پرنس الولید جو طلال خاندان کا فرد ہے بیس سال پہلے لندن میں کار کا حادثہ ہوا اور پرنس کومے میں چلا گیا اس وقت اس کی عمر صرف
سولہ سال تھی
ماں تو آخر ماں ہوتی ہے ماں آج بھی پر امید ہے کہ اس کا بیٹا جو اب چھتیس سال کا ہوگیا
ضرور ہوش میں آئے گا۔ اللہ… pic.twitter.com/Cpj7xaasja
Prince Al-Waleed is the great-grandson of King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and the current King Salman is his great-uncle. This lineage has drawn even more public interest to his condition, with citizens and royal watchers alike following his story for nearly two decades.
