TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Prince Saudi Arabia's Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, known as the 'Sleeping Prince', has passed away at the age of 36, after being in a coma for 20 years.
Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud slipped into a coma following a car accident in 2005 while studying at a military college in London. Born in April 1990, Prince Al-Waleed - affectionately called Dede by his family - was 15 years old at the time.
On Saturday, the prince's father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud - a prominent Saudi nobleman and the nephew of billionaire Prince Al Waleed bin Talal - announced that his son had passed away at a medical facility in Saudi Arabia.
"With hearts believing in Allah will and decree, and with deep sorrow and sadness, we mourn our beloved son: Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, who passed away today," wrote the grieving father in Arabic as reported by People.
Accompanied by a black and white photo of his son lying in a hospital bed with his eyes closed, Prince Khaled added that the funeral ceremony would be held on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
Following the accident, his father refused to remove his life support and transferred him to a specialized medical facility.
The prince suffered severe brain injuries and internal bleeding, eventually slipping into a coma. He was then taken to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he remained in a coma until his passing.
Throughout the two decades of Al-Waleed's coma, his father chose to continue using life support and often shared social media recordings of himself and other family members praying for their son's recovery.
Several of Khaled's posts over the years went viral and were viewed millions of times. He prayed for his son and continued to celebrate special moments by decorating the prince's hospital room for festive occasions, including Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Saudi National Day.
Al-Waleed never regained full consciousness, but his father often shared recordings of his son's light physical responses, such as raising his hand and fingers.
Over the years, the prince also drew numerous direct visitors, who came to his hospital room and prayed alongside his father and siblings, according to Mirror.
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