Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
The Saudi Royal Court announced the passing of Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, known as the “Sleeping Prince,” who died on July 19, 2025, at the age of 36. The prince had been in a coma for nearly 20 years following a tragic car accident in 2005, which left him with severe brain injuries at the age of 15.
A great-grandson of Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdulaziz, and nephew of billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, the young royal was studying at a military college in London when the accident occurred. The crash resulted in critical brain damage and internal bleeding, rendering him dependent on life support at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. For nearly two decades, he was sustained by a ventilator and tube feeding, becoming a poignant symbol of hope and perseverance across the Arab world.
Despite medical advice in 2015 to discontinue life support due to minimal brain activity, his father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, steadfastly refused, driven by faith in a possible miracle. “If God had wanted him to die, he would have been gone,” he once declared. Over the years, the family clung to fleeting signs of hope, such as minor reflexive movements a finger lift in 2019 and a head turn in 2020 though medical experts confirmed these did not indicate a return to consciousness.
Prince Al-Waleed’s story resonated deeply, with his birthdays, including his 36th in April 2025, prompting an outpouring of prayers and support on social media platforms like X. In June 2025, a viral video falsely claiming he had awakened spread rapidly but was debunked as footage of Saudi rally driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi recovering from a separate accident. The incident highlighted the emotional weight of the prince’s journey and the public’s longing for his recovery.
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