Saudi royal ‘Sleeping Prince’ dies at 36 after two decades in coma

Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, known as the “Sleeping Prince,” has died at 36, ending a two-decade coma that followed a devastating car accident when he was a teenager. His father remained by his side through every year of silence.

In 2005, while studying in London, the then-15-year-old prince was involved in a serious car accident that caused major brain trauma and internal injuries. After receiving treatment, he was flown back to Saudi Arabia and admitted to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he remained in a coma for 20 years.

Prince Al-Waleed was the eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud and a nephew of billionaire investor Prince Al Waleed bin Talal. Known affectionately as “Dede” by his family, he never regained consciousness after the crash.

أدعو الله عز وجل
بإسمه الأعظم وبأسمائه الحسنى و صفاته العلا
الله الذي لا إله إلا هو الحي القيوم وحده لا شريك له
له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير
مع بداية عام 2025
أن يشافي ويعافي
والدتي وابني الوليد
ومرضانا ومرضى المسلمين pic.twitter.com/FGIv1yhRHG

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— خالد بن طلال بن عبد العزيز ( أبو الوليد ) (@allah_cure_dede) December 31, 2024

Throughout the years, Prince Khaled refused to take his son off life support, holding onto hope that he might recover. He turned his son’s hospital room into a place of life, decorating it for every holiday and sharing updates on social media, including a video in April 2024 that showed the prince during Eid.

The family received hundreds of visitors over the years—friends, relatives, and well-wishers who came to offer prayers and quiet support. The prince’s hospital room became a symbol of enduring faith and the strength of parental love.

Farewell after 20 years

On July 19, 2025, Prince Khaled announced his son’s death on X (formerly Twitter) with a simple image and a message in Arabic mourning the loss and expressing faith in God’s will.

{يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ، ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً، فَادْخُلِي فِي عِبَادِي، وَادْخُلِي جَنَّتِي}

بقلوب مؤمنة بقضاء الله وقدره وببالغ الحزن والأسى ننعى إبننا الغالي
الأمير الوليد بن خالد بن طلال بن عبدالعزيز آل سعود رحمه الله
الذي انتقل… pic.twitter.com/QQBbMWGOOG

— خالد بن طلال بن عبد العزيز ( أبو الوليد ) (@allah_cure_dede) July 19, 2025

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A prayer service was held the following day in Saudi Arabia, attended by members of the royal family and citizens who had followed the prince’s story for years.

For many, the Sleeping Prince represented something beyond tragedy. His story was about a family’s unwavering presence in the face of uncertainty, and the deep ties that can hold steady even when words and movement are gone.