The Prince Who Slept for 20 Years: A Story of Love, Loss, and a Father’s Unwavering Hope

Known in quiet corners of the world as the “Sleeping Prince,” Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud passed away on July 19, 2025 , at the age of 36. His death marks the end of a two-decade-long chapter defined not by movement, but by stillness — and above all, by a father’s enduring love.

Born in April 1990, Prince Al-Waleed — affectionately called “Dede” by his family — was just 15 years old when his life changed forever.

In 2005, while studying military science in London, he was involved in a devastating car accident. The crash left him with severe brain injuries and critical internal bleeding. After emergency treatment, he was flown back to Saudi Arabia and admitted to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh , where he would remain for the rest of his life.


From that moment on, he never woke.

For over 20 years, Prince Al-Waleed lay in a vegetative state — breathing with the help of life support, his body still, his consciousness lost. Doctors offered no hope of recovery. Yet, his father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud — a respected member of the royal family and nephew of billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal — refused to let go.

A Father’s Vigil

Prince Khaled made the profound decision to keep his eldest son on life support, holding fast to faith and the faintest possibility of a miracle.

Every year, without fail, he transformed his son’s hospital room into a place of warmth and remembrance. During Eid, the room glowed with soft lights and festive decorations. Family photos lined the walls. Handwritten prayers and verses from the Quran were placed within view.

It wasn’t just a hospital room — it became a sanctuary.

“I am pleased to inform you that his health condition is stable, and he is currently in intensive care,” Prince Khaled wrote on April 10, 2024 , alongside a brief video of his son lying peacefully in bed, the room adorned for the holiday. The post went quietly viral — not for its celebrity, but for its raw, heartbreaking honesty.

Over the years, the bedside became a place of pilgrimage — not in the religious sense, but in the human one. Relatives, friends, and even strangers came to pray, to sit in silence, to witness the depth of a father’s devotion.

For 20 years, Prince Khaled stood guard — not as a royal, but as a parent.

The Final Goodbye

On Saturday, July 19, 2025 , that long, quiet vigil came to an end.

Prince Khaled shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) with a simple, solemn image: a black-and-white photo of his son, eyes closed, hands folded, at peace.

“With hearts full of faith in Allah’s decree and destiny, and with profound sadness and sorrow, we mourn our beloved son, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, may Allah have mercy on him. He has passed away to the mercy of his Lord today.”

The funeral prayer was held the following day in Riyadh, attended by members of the royal family, close friends, and mourners who had followed the story of the prince who never woke — but who, in his stillness, touched so many.

A Legacy of Love

Prince Al-Waleed never ruled, never spoke in public, never walked again after that night in London. But his life — or the space between life and death — became a quiet testament to something powerful: the unbreakable bond between a parent and a child .

He was more than a headline. More than a nickname. He was a son. A brother. A beloved presence in a room filled with love, even in silence.

Rest in peace, Prince Al-Waleed. May your rest now be eternal, and may your father’s love — so deeply given — be comforted in time.