Prince Al Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, nicknamed the “Sleeping Prince” across the Arab world, has died after 20 years in a coma.
His death, announced by the family on Saturday, has triggered public reactions across social media.
The prince was 15 when a car accident in London in 2005 left him with severe brain trauma. Since then, he remained in a coma and received treatment in both Europe and Saudi Arabia, with brief moments that gave his family and followers hope.
One such moment was in 2020 when a video showing him slightly moving his fingers went viral on social media.
His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal, who had long resisted pressure to end life support, confirmed the death on social media: “With hearts believing in Allah’s will and decree, and with deep sorrow, we mourn our beloved son.”
Prince Al Waleed, a nephew of billionaire investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, spent most of his coma at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, with his father by his side.
The prince’s passing has sparked reactions online, with many reflecting on his two-decade-long coma.
One user, @tkranechemist, wondered how the prince would have coped if he had eventually regained full consciousness:
“Even if he had woken up, how will he have survived or coped mentally, socially and psychologically? He’s 20 years behind,” he wrote.
Another, @starkid_de, said, “So after all the money the father spent on him for recovery, everything is in vain. Money doesn’t guarantee life.”
@sexyweffizzy wrote “I thought they said he woke up and started walking again?”
@slendergrass wrote: “Coma! The hollow sound of it. Like helloing into a hole. A whole lot of emptiness comes back to you. A lot of nothing. How does one live in there for 20 years?”
“Chaii, twenty years in a coma, and those who are alive and thriving, who God has blessed with opportunities they don’t appreciate… may his soul rest in perfect peace. I am sincerely grateful to God for keeping me alive,” @OLOBAFEDERAL said.
@Dennism8686 questioned the news, writing: “I thought they said his hand moved recently for the first time in 20 years showing he could wake up soon. Has he now died? What of the 2 million dollars the family added to his bank account?”
Meanwhile, funeral prayers for Prince Al Waleed are scheduled for Sunday at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.
