Evie Summers
Saudi Arabia's 'Sleeping Prince', Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, passed away at the age of 36, after spending 20 years in a coma following a car accident in London. The prince was just 15 when the accident took place in 2005, while he was studying at a military college in the United Kingdom. The crash caused a brain haemorrhage and internal bleeding, leaving him in a deep coma. He was later moved to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he remained on a ventilator and was fed through a feeding tube for two decades.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud |
| Nickname | "The Sleeping Prince" |
| Date of Birth | 18 April 1990 |
| Age | 36 |
| Father | Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud |
| Grandfather | Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud |
| Great-Grandfather | King Abdulaziz Al Saud |
| Relation to Current King | Great-Grandson |
| Accident Year | 2005 |
| Accident Age | 15 |
| Accident Location | London, United Kingdom |
| Accident Type | Car Crash |
| Injuries | Brain haemorrhage, internal bleeding, severe brain injuries |
| Coma | 20 years |
| Coma Location | King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh |
| Coma Status | Never regained consciousness |
| Death | 19 July 2025 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal's car accident in London
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, widely known as the "Sleeping Prince", died at the age of 36 in 2025, nearly two decades after a car accident in London left him in a coma. He was the eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, a prominent member of the Saudi royal family. He was also the nephew of billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and the great-grandson of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia.
Prince Al-Waleed was just 15 years old when he was involved in a high-speed car accident in London in 2005 while studying at a military college. The accident caused severe brain trauma, including a brain haemorrhage and internal bleeding, leaving him in a deep coma from which he never recovered. He was transported to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he was placed on a ventilator and feeding tube. Despite receiving urgent medical care, he never regained full consciousness.
His family sought medical help from specialists around the world, but despite all efforts, Prince Al-Waleed remained in a coma for 20 years until his death. Over the years, his father, Prince Khaled, consistently refused to withdraw life support and remained hopeful that his son would one day wake up. He often shared footage of his son's minor physical responses, such as lifting his hands and fingers, and decorated his hospital room for holidays. Prince Al-Waleed's case captured widespread attention across Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, becoming a symbol of faith, resilience, and the bond between parent and child.
In July 2025, Prince Khaled announced his son's death at a medical facility in Saudi Arabia. Funeral prayers were held at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh, with the women's service taking place at King Faisal Specialist Hospital. Prince Al-Waleed's tragic story and his father's unwavering dedication have touched many people, leading to an outpouring of condolences and tributes online.
Backcountry Camping: Choosing a Lightweight Sleeping Bag
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The prince's 20-year coma
Saudi Arabia's 'Sleeping Prince', Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, spent 20 years in a coma following a devastating car accident in London in 2005. He was just 15 at the time, studying at a military college in the United Kingdom. The accident caused severe brain injuries and internal bleeding, leading him to fall into a coma. He never regained consciousness.
Prince Al-Waleed was the eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, a prominent member of the Saudi royal family. He was also the nephew of billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and the great-grandson of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia. Despite doctors advising ending life support, his father refused, consistently maintaining hope that his son would one day wake up.
Over the years, Prince Al-Waleed's case captured widespread attention across Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. His family often shared social media footage of themselves praying for his recovery and celebrating special occasions by decorating his hospital room. In 2019, a video shared by the family appeared to show him moving his head and arm, sparking renewed hope, although no meaningful recovery followed.
In July 2025, at the age of 36, Prince Al-Waleed passed away, nearly two decades after the accident that left him in a coma. His father announced the news, sharing a black-and-white photo of his son lying in a hospital bed. The Sleeping Prince's death led to an outpouring of condolences online, with the hashtag “Sleeping Prince” trending in Saudi Arabia and beyond.
Best Soaps to Clean Your Sleeping Bag
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Lawrence of Arabia (Restored Version) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/812W40c2mnL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The Saudi royal family's refusal to withdraw life support
Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, widely known as the "Sleeping Prince", died at the age of 36 in 2025, nearly two decades after a car accident in London left him in a coma. He was the eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, a prominent member of the Saudi royal family.
In 2005, at the age of 15, Prince Al-Waleed was involved in a high-speed car accident while studying at a military college in London. The crash caused a brain haemorrhage and internal bleeding, leaving him in a deep coma from which he never recovered. He was later moved to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he remained on a ventilator and was fed through a feeding tube for two decades.
Doctors advised ending life support, but Prince Al-Waleed's father, Prince Khaled, refused to withdraw it and remained hopeful that his son would one day wake up. He consistently shared social media footage of himself and other family members praying for his son's recovery. Prince Khaled's unwavering hope and refusal to withdraw life support captured widespread attention across Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. His son's condition became a symbol of faith, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between parent and child.
In 2019, a video shared by the family appeared to show Prince Al-Waleed moving his head and arm, sparking renewed hope, although no meaningful recovery followed. Despite the prognosis and the passage of years, Prince Khaled steadfastly refused to end his son's life support, choosing to cling to the faintest threads of hope. This decision reflects the belief that life and death are solely in God's hands, leaving the ultimate decision to a higher power.
Dehydration and Sleep: A Dangerous Duo
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Lawrence of Arabia: 60th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook [4K UHD] [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91pW5x7jxkL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The Sleeping Prince's death at 36
Saudi Arabia's Sleeping Prince, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, passed away at the age of 36. He was the eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Talal, a prominent Saudi royal and the nephew of billionaire Prince Al Waleed bin Talal.
Prince Al-Waleed was just 15 when he met with a horrific car accident in London in 2005. He was studying at a military college in the United Kingdom at the time. The crash caused severe brain injuries and internal bleeding, leading him to fall into a deep coma. He was moved to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he remained on a ventilator and was fed through a feeding tube for two decades.
Despite minimal movements over the years, such as lifting a finger or moving his head and arm, Prince Al-Waleed never fully regained consciousness. His family refused to withdraw life support, choosing to remain hopeful that he would one day wake up. His father, Prince Khaled, consistently shared his hope and faith on social media, often posting videos of himself and other family members praying for his son's recovery.
News of his death led to an outpouring of condolences online, with the hashtag "Sleeping Prince" trending in Saudi Arabia and beyond. Funeral prayers were held at the Grand Mosque in Riyadh, with the men's prayer taking place after the Asr prayer and the women's service following the Dhuhr prayer at King Faisal Specialist Hospital.
Fish That Never Sleep: Exploring Unique Aquatic Insomnia
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The outpouring of condolences online
Saudi Arabia's Sleeping Prince, Al-Waleed bin Khaled, passed away at the age of 36 in 2025, two decades after a car accident in London left him in a coma. The prince's case had captured widespread attention across Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, with his condition becoming a symbol of faith, resilience, and the bond between parent and child.
News of his death sparked an outpouring of condolences online, with the hashtag "#SleepingPrince" trending in Saudi Arabia and beyond. People shared their sympathies and condolences on social media. Some tweets read:
> "May Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled, rest in peace. Deepest sympathies to his loved ones."
Another user wrote:
> "Your time on earth was a blessing to your family and the world in general."
The Global Imams Council also extended its condolences, saying:
> "The Global Imams Council extends its sincere condolences and heartfelt sympathy to... His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and the esteemed Royal Family, on the passing of Prince Alwaleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, who passed away after a long struggle that lasted nearly twenty years following a tragic accident."
Pre-Day Off Sleep: A Relaxing Night's Sleep
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Sleeping Prince of Saudi Arabia was Saudi Royal Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. He was the eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, a prominent member of the Saudi royal family.
The Sleeping Prince was involved in a car accident in London in 2005, at the age of 15, which left him in a coma for 20 years. He suffered severe brain injuries and internal bleeding and never regained consciousness.
The Sleeping Prince died on July 19, 2025, at the age of 36.
The Sleeping Prince got his nickname from his comatose state following the car accident in 2005.
