Saudi Prince in Coma for 20 Years, Nicknamed The Sleeping Prince | Gita Blog Sport
Gitablogsport.com - Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled Al-Saud, a member of the Saudi royal family, has been in a coma for more than two decades, earning him the nickname "The Sleeping Prince." His prolonged unconscious state has drawn attention from international media and the global public.
Who is Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled?
Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled is the son of Prince Khaled bin Talal, a prominent businessman and royal family member. He is also the nephew of Saudi billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. There is no publicly available information about his birthdate or his mother's identity.
Prince Khaled has steadfastly insisted on keeping his son alive with the help of a ventilator, holding onto hope that his son might one day awaken.
The Tragic Accident That Led to the Coma
Prince Al-Waleed fell into a coma after a devastating car accident in London in 2005 while studying military science. During a 2017 Saudi talk show, Prince Khaled shared that he had a bad premonition on the day of the accident and even advised his son not to go out.
However, Prince Al-Waleed left home with two friends and was later involved in a serious crash. Moments after the incident, he regained consciousness briefly and asked, "How are my friends?" He then slipped into a deep coma due to severe brain hemorrhaging.
Doctors initially predicted he wouldn’t survive more than a few days after surgery. Despite this, Prince Khaled chose to keep his son on life support, believing that if God willed his son’s death, it would happen naturally.
Signs of Hope from the "Sleeping Prince"
After 18 months of intensive care, Prince Al-Waleed began breathing on his own for about three months. He also showed limited responses when touched or spoken to by close family members, doctors, and nurses.
In 2016, he was moved from the hospital to his family residence for ongoing treatment. A year later, in 2017, four doctors three from the United States and one from Spain were brought in to explore the possibility of performing surgery to stop the brain bleeding, but the prince has not yet regained consciousness.
On September 27, 2021, his aunt Princess Rima bint Talal shared a video on Twitter (now X) showing his current condition, along with a heartfelt prayer for his recovery.
The video showed Prince Al-Waleed connected to life-support machines and covered with the Saudi national flag bearing the words, “Our Country is in Our Heart.”
His father remains hopeful. “Someone asked me why I don’t remove the devices from my son. I answered, if God had intended for him to die in that accident, my son would already be in his grave,” he said.
Princess Noura bint Talal, Prince Khaled’s sister, also once shared a video showing the “Sleeping Prince” moving his fingers another sign of hope.