The 36-year-old Saudi prince, dubbed the “Sleeping Prince,” Prince Al Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, passed away after a tragic automobile accident in London left him in a coma for 20 years.
His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, shared the devastating news earlier today, July 19, on 𝕏 in a touching statement.
He added, “We grieve the loss of our beloved son, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, who passed away today, with hearts full of sorrow and sadness and faith in Allah’s will and decree.”
At the age of 15, Prince Al Waleed, who was studying as a military cadet in the UK, suffered significant head trauma and internal bleeding in the accident, which caused him to go into a coma.
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For nearly two decades, his family kept a careful eye on him despite the physicians’ pessimistic predictions and refused to remove him from life support.
When a video appeared in 2020 that appeared to show the prince lifting his fingers slightly in response to a voice, it gave the country and his family hope that he could recover. This moment was a momentary glimpse of hope.
“Habibi, hello,” said the woman at the prince’s bedside in the video, which Princess Noura bint Talal Al Saud posted. Hey, hello, let me check.
His first and only gesture of consciousness in years was a small hand movement in response.
But that dim hope of healing never realized its full potential.
On Sunday, the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh will host funeral prayers for the late prince.
According to sources from the area, the King Faisal Specialist Hospital will host a separate women’s prayer service following Dhuhr prayers. Up until Tuesday, a three-day period of mourning has been established.
