Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid Al-Saud, widely known as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince,” has died at the age of 36, nearly 19 years after a car accident left him in a coma.
The prince was just 15 when he suffered a brain haemorrhage and internal injuries in a devastating crash in London in 2005. He never regained full consciousness and remained on life support at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh until his passing.
His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, confirmed his death in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, writing: “With hearts believing in Allah’s will and decree, and with deep sorrow and sadness, we mourn our beloved son… may Allah have mercy on him.”
At the time of the accident, Prince Al-Waleed was a military college student in London. Despite a dire prognosis, his father remained steadfast in his decision to continue life support, hopeful his son might recover.
News of the prince’s death has sparked an outpouring of condolences across social media, with the hashtag #SleepingPrince trending widely.
“May Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled rest in peace. Deepest sympathies to his loved ones,” one user posted. Another wrote, “Your time on earth was a blessing to your family and the world in general.”
Funeral prayers are scheduled to take place at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
