Saudi Arabia’s ‘Sleeping Prince’ Turns 36 After Nearly Two Decades in Coma
Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, fondly known as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince,” marked his 36th birthday last week — a milestone reached while still in a coma that has lasted nearly 20 years.
The young royal, son of billionaire Prince Khaled bin Talal, slipped into unconsciousness in 2005 after a tragic car accident while studying at a military college in the United Kingdom. Since then, he has remained on life support at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, being fed through a tube for nearly two decades.
In 2015, medical experts advised that life support be withdrawn, but his father refused, clinging firmly to hope. “If God had wanted him to die in the accident, he would have been in his grave now,” Prince Khaled once said, highlighting his unshaken faith in a miracle.
There was a brief moment of hope in 2019 when Prince Al-Waleed showed small signs of awareness, reportedly moving a finger and turning his head. However, no significant progress has been recorded since then.
On his birthday this year, many well-wishers took to the social media platform X to send prayers and blessings. “Hopefully, he wakes up soon. God Almighty bless him,” one user wrote, echoing the sentiment of thousands.
Prince Al-Waleed belongs to the Saudi royal family but is not a direct descendant of King Salman, the current monarch. He is the great-grandson of King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and King Salman’s great-nephew.
Despite the long years of silence, hope continues to surround the Sleeping Prince — a story of enduring faith, family devotion, and the fragile beauty of life.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
