Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince”, aged 36, passed away after more than 20 years in a coma induced after a car accident, the Global Imams Council announced this Friday.
Prince Alwaleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, better known as the “Sleeping Prince of Saudi Arabia,” fell into a coma after a car accident in London that occured when he was 15.
His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal al Saud, decided to keep him alive as long as possible, hoping to see him wake up one day. “We recall with deep respect the patience and steadfastness demonstrated by the father,” said the GIC in their announcement.
The car crash left Prince Alwaleed with a brain hemorrhage and critical injuries in several parts of his body.
After the accident, the Saudi prince was kept alive with a ventilator. Despite the family appealing to some of the best treatments and medical experts in the world, he never fully woke up again.
20 years of ups and downs for the Saudi royal family
During the 20-year-long coma, the prince suffered ups and downs in his health state, with a couple of occasions when it looked possible that he would regain consciousness.
The last one was in 2020, when his family posted a video where the prince was lifting his fingers in response to a woman's greeting.
He also managed to lift his entire hand at one point, but his family did not share any further improvements after that video was posted.
"We pray the almighty Allah envelops the late prince with his vast mercy, grants him a place in his eternal paradise, and bestows patience and solace upon his family and loved ones," the GIC concluded on their post.