Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, widely known as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince,” has turned 36 while still in a coma—almost 20 years after a devastating car accident left him unconscious.
In 2005, Prince Al-Waleed, then a student at a Saudi military college, sustained a traumatic brain injury during a road accident. Since the incident, he has remained in a coma and has been on life support at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, according to Roya News.
A prominent member of the Saudi royal family, Prince Al-Waleed is the great-grandson of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and the grandson of Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz. Though not in the immediate line of succession, he is also the great-nephew of current monarch King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Despite repeated medical advice to discontinue life support, his father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, has consistently chosen to keep his son alive, expressing unwavering faith in a possible recovery. “If God wanted him to die that day, he would have,” Prince Khaled once stated, firmly defending his decision.
In 2019, faint signs of movement—such as finger twitching and subtle head turns—sparked hope, although Prince Al-Waleed has yet to regain full consciousness. His story reemerged on social media as supporters and well-wishers marked his 36th birthday on April 18, sharing heartfelt photos of him with family.
Today, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal remains a poignant symbol of faith, hope, and perseverance in Saudi Arabia, as his family continues to hope for a miraculous recovery nearly two decades later.