Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, known across Saudi Arabia and beyond as the “Sleeping Prince”, has died at the age of 36, according to reports on social media.
He had been in a coma since 2005, when he was just 15 years old, after a car accident in London.
Making an announcement regarding his death on social media, the Sleeping Prince’s father wrote an ayah of the Holy Quran, “O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. Enter among My [righteous] servants and enter My Paradise.”
“With hearts that believe in God’s will and decree, and with deep sadness and sorrow, we mourn our beloved son, Prince Al-Waleed Bin Khalid Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God have mercy on him, who passed away today,” he added.
For two decades, his family stood by his side, holding on to hope for him to come back to life. They looked after him in a medical facility in Saudi Arabia and often shared updates with the public.
On Saturday, his father announced the prince had passed away peacefully.
In April this year, a video on social media had wrongly claimed the prince had woken up. It showed old footage of him with added text, saying he had regained consciousness after 20 years.
The video quickly went viral, with many believing the news to be true. But it was later confirmed that he had not woken up.
