Saudi ‘Sleeping Prince’ Turns 36 After 20 Years In Coma Following London Crash

Saudi ‘Sleeping Prince’ has turned 36 after 20 years in a coma following a London crash.

Glamtush reports that Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, often affectionately referred to as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince,” turned 36 last week while still in a coma that has lasted nearly two decades.

On April 18, as the Saudi royal marked his birthday, several users shared prayers and messages of hope for a recovery they still believe in, as reported by Roya News. Prince Al-Waleed has been unconscious since 2005, after suffering a brain injury in a car crash in London.

For the last 20 years, Prince Al-Waleed has been receiving care at the King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, his life sustained by machines. According to Roya News, he has been on a ventilator since the accident and relies on a feeding tube for nourishment. “The prince remains on life support, relying on mechanical ventilation and a feeding tube. The last documented movements occurred in 2019, when he reportedly showed signs of limited awareness through small gestures, such as lifting a finger or slightly moving his head—though these moments did not indicate a return to full consciousness,” Roya News reports.

These small signs of life gave his family brief moments of hope, but full recovery and awareness remain out of reach, leaving them in a constant state of grief.

His parents, Prince Khaled bin Talal and Princess Reema bint Talal, continue to hold on to faith when doctors once recommended ending his life support. “If God had wanted him to die in the accident, he would have been in his grave now,” his father had said.

While the medical world speaks in cautious tones, the prince’s family has never wavered. Prince Khaled, in past statements, refused to withdraw life support, citing divine will. Princess Reema, too, has spoken of feeling her son’s spirit still present.

According to the report, no official statement was released by the family this year.

Prince Al-Waleed is part of the Saudi royal family but not a direct son or brother of the current king. He is the great-grandson of King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder and first king of Saudi Arabia. His grandfather, Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, was one of King Abdulaziz’s many sons.