A Saudi prince known as the “Sleeping Prince” has died after spending nearly 20 years in a coma from injuries sustained in a car crash while studying abroad as a teenager.
Prince Alwaleed Al Saud passed away Saturday at the tender age of 36, according to a statement from the Saudi royal court carried by the kingdom’s official SPA news agency.
“With hearts full of faith in Allah’s decree and destiny, and with profound sadness and sorrow, we mourn our beloved son Prince Alwaleed bin Khalid bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him, who passed away to Allah’s mercy today,” his father, Prince Khaled Al Saud, said in a statement posted to social media.
Prince Alwaleed was just 15 years old when he suffered a brain hemorrhage in a road collision in London in 2005. He had been attending military college in the United Kingdom when the accident occurred, leaving him under close medical supervision without regaining consciousness for the remainder of his life.
Prince Alwaleed was the nephew of Saudi billionaire Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud and Princess Rima bin Talal. Despite his prolonged unconscious state, the Saudi Gazette reported he experienced “brief episodes of limited movement” over the years his family maintained their bedside vigil.
Arab Religious leaders offered condolences to the royal family following news of his death.
“As we share the grief of the Royal Family on this solemn occasion, we recall with deep respect the patience and steadfastness demonstrated by his father, Prince Khaled bin Talal, and his family. 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, wrote the Iraq-based Global Imams Council.
Throughout his lengthy coma, Al-Waleed’s father chose to continue life support measures and used social media to show family members praying for the prince’s recovery. Israel has not issued any official response or statement regarding his death
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