Farewell to the 'Sleeping Prince': Saudi Royal Dies After 20-Year Coma
His passing moves millions across the Arab world and Indian diaspora; Crown Prince MBS’s relative was a symbol of hope, faith, and parental devotion for two decades.
By Karan Bir Singh Sidhu
Retired IAS Officer & Former Special Chief Secretary, Punjab. Writes on cross-cultural currents, geo-strategic relationships, and the Indian diaspora.
The Prince Who Slept Through Two Decades
On 19 July 2025, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid bin Talal Al Saud—known across the Arab world as the “Sleeping Prince”—passed away in Riyadh, closing one of the most poignant chapters in Saudi royal history. His story was one of youthful promise cut short, of unwavering parental devotion, and of a Kingdom that watched and prayed for a miracle that never came. He had spent nearly 20 years in a coma, suspended between life and death since a tragic accident in 2005.
A Life Full of Potential
Born in April 1989, Al-Waleed was a Prince by blood and a soldier by choice. He was undergoing officer training at a military college in London when, in August 2005, he was involved in a devastating car crash. The accident left him with massive brain trauma, plunging him into a persistent vegetative state from which he never recovered.
The Saudi royal family, especially his father Prince Khalid bin Talal—nephew of King Salman—refused to let go. For two decades, Prince Khalid kept vigil at his son’s bedside, rejecting doctors’ recommendations to remove life support. The family’s conviction that Allah could still heal him made the Prince a symbol of hope, patience, and deep faith for millions.
A Quiet Branch of the Royal Tree
Prince Al-Waleed belonged to the Talal branch of the House of Saud, a lineage once known for its reformist leanings. His grandfather, Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz—nicknamed the “Red Prince” for advocating constitutional reform—was a brother of King Salman. That made Al-Waleed a great-nephew of King Salman and a first cousin once removed of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Though not part of the political inner circle, the two were related by blood and tradition, growing up in the same extended palace culture. While MBS rose to dominate the future of Saudi Arabia, Al-Waleed remained frozen in time—a quiet contrast to the Crown Prince’s transformative pace.
Echoes of a Miracle
What drew global attention over the years were brief, ambiguous signs of movement. In 2019, a video showing the Prince slightly raising a finger went viral. A year later, another clip emerged in which his head seemed to turn momentarily in response to his father’s voice. These became known as the “miracle movements,” interpreted by many as signs of divine intervention, even as medical professionals maintained that such reflexes were not uncommon in long-term coma patients.
For the deeply religious in the Kingdom and beyond, these signs were enough. In mosques from Jeddah to Jakarta, and in Indian homes from Hyderabad to Kozhikode, prayers were offered for his recovery. Among the Indian diaspora in the Gulf, his name evoked empathy and a shared understanding of familial devotion that transcended class or creed.
Ties That Bind: India and Saudi Arabia
The Sleeping Prince’s passing also resonated among India’s nearly 2.4 million-strong expatriate community in Saudi Arabia, one of the largest Indian populations abroad. These shared human connections are underpinned by robust strategic ties. India imports around 17% of its crude oil from Saudi Arabia, making it a vital energy partner. Under the leadership of Crown Prince MBS and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the relationship has deepened beyond hydrocarbons—expanding into infrastructure, digital cooperation, defence dialogue, and cultural exchange. Their strong personal rapport, reflected in multiple high-level visits and public statements, has created a new architecture of trust between New Delhi and Riyadh. The emotional reaction of Indian workers and professionals to Prince Al-Waleed’s death is a reminder that ties between nations often flow not just through trade routes, but through shared lives and silent prayers.
Not Just a Royal—A Symbol
Prince Al-Waleed was never married, and he had no children. His youth, position, and circumstances transformed him from just another member of the sprawling House of Saud into a quiet icon of emotional endurance. Across the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, his coma raised sensitive conversations around end-of-life care, the ethics of prolonged artificial life support, and the burden of hope.
Yet for his father and his conservative branch of the royal family, withdrawing care was never an option. Prince Khalid saw in his son’s suspended state not a tragedy, but a test—a test of faith, perseverance, and divine timing.
A Royal Funeral and Public Farewell
Upon the announcement of his death, tributes poured in. Senior royals attended the funeral, held at a mosque in Riyadh, where a quiet crowd of mourners gathered—some who had never met him, yet felt they had known him for years. On social media, Saudis expressed sadness, but also relief that his long suffering had ended. Among Indians in the Kingdom, where thousands of nurses and caregivers work in hospitals, his case had long held special resonance. Some had cared for him. Many more had prayed for him.
The Legacy of the Sleeping Prince
In the end, the Sleeping Prince left behind no palace intrigues, no grand political moves, and no riches amassed. His legacy was silent but profound. He was a reminder of life’s fragility, of the weight of family loyalty, and of the long shadow that tragedy can cast over privilege.
In a region often focused on change, power, and reform, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid became something else entirely—a still point in a moving world. His death marks the end of a long vigil, but not the end of the story that will continue to be told in whispered prayers, in hospital wards, and in the hearts of all those who waited with him.