Saudi Arabian prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, also known as the “Sleeping Prince”, has died at the age of 36 after spending two decades in a coma.

Prince Al-Waleed had been in a coma since 2005, when a car accident in London left him with severe brain injuries at the age of 15.

The Saudi Royal Court, through the Saudi Press Agency, announced the prince’s death on Jul. 19.

In a coma for 20 years

The eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Tahal, Prince Al-Waleed was studying as a military cadet in the United Kingdom when he was involved in the accident in 2005, Hindustan Times reported.

It caused a brain haemorrhage and internal bleeding, and left him in a deep coma which he would never wake from.

The prince was moved to a hospital in Riyadh, where he remained on a ventilator for two decades under close medical supervision.

His father refused to take him off life support as he explored various medical solutions over the years and hoped for his son’s recovery, Times of India reported.

Previously, videos of the prince responding faintly to Quranic recitations had captured public interest in Saudi Arabia, Yemen Online reported.

On Jul. 19, Prince Khaled confirmed the death of his son in an emotional message on X, where he quoted a verse from the Quran, according to The Economic Times.

Social media was flooded with tributes with the hashtag #Sleeping Prince after his death.

His funeral prayer was held on Jul. 20 at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.

Top image from @@itxamustafa4/X & @sumrkhan1/X

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Khaled bin Talal, known as the “Sleeping Prince,” has died after spending 20 years in a coma. His father, Prince Khalid, belongs to Saudi Arabia’s ultra-rich House of Saud — a royal family worth $1.4 trillion, known for its gold-plated cars, $400M yachts, $450M art, private jets, and grand palaces like the 1,000-room Al Yamamah.

 

Sleeping Prince Dies After 20-Year Coma – Inside His Family’s 1.4 Trillion Empire of Gold Cars, Superyachts, and Palaces

There’s a kind of stillness that comes from tragedy. And for nearly two decades, that stillness lived in a hospital bed in Riyadh, breathing softly through machines and prayers. Prince Alwaleed bin Khaled bin Talal, lovingly dubbed The Sleeping Prince, passed away on 19 July 2025 at the age of 36, after spending 20 years in a coma following a horrific car crash in London. His life, though largely confined to a hospital room, symbolised the depth of familial loyalty, especially that of his father, Prince Khalid bin Talal Al Saud — a man as complex and controversial as the House of Saud itself.

But this isn’t just a tale of sorrow. It’s one woven with towering palaces, gold-plated Lamborghinis, billion-dollar yachts, Boeing aircraft-turned-palaces-in-the-sky, and the legacy of one of the wealthiest families in modern history. 

The Father: Khalid bin Talal Al Saud — Prince, Businessman, Rebel

Born on 10 January 1962, Prince Khalid bin Talal is a grandson of Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdulaziz. His mother, Mona El Solh, was the daughter of Riad as-Solh — Lebanon’s first Prime Minister. That also makes him the full brother of Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, the Saudi billionaire often likened to the Arab world’s Warren Buffett.

Khalid was once known for his position as the president of the Al-Hilal Volleyball Club, but he gained international attention more for his fiery political stances than his sporting ventures. He’s staunchly conservative, often clashing with family members who veer towards reform — including his own brother Alwaleed, who funded a Saudi film shown in theatres against Islamist opposition.

Khalid’s notoriety peaked in 2011 when he publicly offered $900,000 for the capture of an Israeli soldier — a retaliatory move following reported bounties by extremist Israeli groups. This act sparked global headlines and further isolated him from the modernising wave sweeping through the Kingdom under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

In 2017, Khalid was arrested — not for any bounty, but for opposing reforms that stripped the Islamic religious police of their arrest powers. He was released a year later, reportedly under international pressure following the Jamal Khashoggi incident.

The Sleeping Prince: A Life Lived Between Hope and Heartache

Prince Khalid’s son, Alwaleed bin Khaled bin Talal, was just 15 when a traffic accident in London left him with a brain haemorrhage and internal bleeding. He never woke up. Despite medical advice urging the family to consider pulling the plug, Khalid refused — firmly believing that life and death were in God’s hands.

In the years that followed, fleeting moments like finger movements and head tilts sparked hope, but they never materialised into recovery. Throughout, the prince remained at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, under full-time care and surrounded by state-of-the-art machines. On 19 July 2025, that long, silent chapter came to a close.

Billionaire Bloodlines: Alwaleed bin Talal and the $1.4 Trillion Royal Fortune

To understand the grandeur of this royal lineage, one must turn to the elder Alwaleed bin Talal — Khalid’s brother and one of the richest men in the world. With a fortune estimated at around $20 billion, Alwaleed is best known internationally for his early investments in Apple, Twitter, Citigroup, and hotel chains like Four Seasons.

But the family’s combined wealth overshadows even that. With an estimated net worth of $1.4 trillion, the House of Saud is reportedly sixteen times richer than the British royal family.

Palaces Fit for Kings (Literally)

The royal residence? Think less Windsor Castle, more architectural opulence on steroids. The official royal residence, Al Yamamah Palace, located in Riyadh, is spread across 4 million square feet. It boasts more than 1,000 rooms, a cinema, a bowling alley, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and yes, even gold-plated tissue box holders. Italian marble, carved ceilings, and hand-painted Islamic wall motifs make it a visual feast.

For downtime, King Salman retires to Al-Awja Palace, described as a private retreat for receiving international dignitaries in a setting that blends traditional Najdi architecture with modern excess. There’s also the Erga Palace, famously visited by former US President Barack Obama, where high diplomacy meets haute couture hospitality.

Planes, Yachts and Paintings Worth More Than Countries

What happens when you have money that defies arithmetic? You spend $400 million on a yacht named Serene, complete with two helipads, an underwater viewing deck, a snow room, and — wait for it — a seawater swimming pool. Crown Prince MBS reportedly stores the $450 million Leonardo da Vinci painting Salvator Mundi inside this floating palace.

Prince Abdulaziz owns another 484-foot yacht — with 32 staterooms, a gym, spa, cinema and crew quarters for 65 people.

Then there’s the Boeing 747-400 — the largest passenger plane in the world — customised into a palace in the sky, complete with gold-plated bathrooms and private bedrooms. One time, they booked out an entire Emirates flight for 80 falcons, each bird given its own seat.

Cars Dipped in Gold and a Taste for the Finer Art

Turki Bin Abdullah, another Saudi royal, owns a fleet of supercars worth $22 million, including a Lamborghini Aventador SuperVeloce, Bentley Continental, Mercedes G-Class, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom — some of which are entirely gold-plated.

And the family’s love for art rivals their taste for horsepower. From Picasso’s Les Femmes d’Alger ($160 million) to contemporary works by Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, the House of Saud treats its art collection as both cultural capital and high-octane investment.

Final Farewell to The Sleeping Prince

Funeral prayers for Prince Alwaleed were held in Riyadh at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque. While the men’s service followed the Asr prayer, the women’s prayers took place after Dhuhr at King Faisal Specialist Hospital. As his body was laid to rest, he was mourned not just as a prince, but as a symbol of a father’s unbreakable hope.

For a family that measures their wealth in billions, yachts, and gold, the story of The Sleeping Prince is a poignant reminder: that even in a world built on unimaginable opulence, the deepest currencies remain love, loss, and faith.

Fact: When you next see a gold Lamborghini on social media, there’s a fair chance it belongs to a Saudi prince. But did you know one of them once flew a cheetah across continents in a private jet just for a weekend retreat? Only in the world of the House of Saud.