Who is Saudi Arabia's 'Sleeping Prince'? Billionaire Prince remains unconscious for nearly 20 years

Saudi Arabia's Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, also known as the "Sleeping Prince", turned 36 on April 18. However, he remains in a coma for nearly 20 years now. 

Prince Al-Waleed was put in a coma in 2005 after he suffered a brain injury in a deadly car crash in London when he was pursuing his studies at military college.

Despite medical advice to end life support, his father declined, as he hoped for his recovery. Also, his condition improved a little over the years. 

"The prince remains on life support, relying on mechanical ventilation and a feeding tube," Roya News reported.

In 2019, there were little signs of limited response, as his fingers moved and his head shifted slightly, but there has been no documented progress since. 

Prince Al-Waleed is the great-grandson of Saudi Arabia's founder King Abdulaziz, and he still continues to receive life support in Riyadh, according to Indian media. 

He is currently being treated at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh under the care of a full-time medical team. 

As he turned 36 last week, the "Sleeping Prince" drew widespread attention on social media, as users shared his photos along with his family members. 

سعودی شہزادہ الولید بن خالد بن طلال، جو دو دہائیوں سے زائد عرصے تک کوما میں ہیں اور پوری عرب دنیا میں "Sleeping Prince" کے نام سے جانے جاتے ہیں، نے جمعہ 18 اپریل کو اپنی 36 ویں سالگرہ منائی۔ #sleepingprince #SaudiPrince pic.twitter.com/IUX0uSN8Gq

"Over the past 24 hours, the prince’s birthday has attracted widespread attention on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where thousands of users have offered their condolences and prayers for his recovery," one of the users wrote. 

سعودی شہزادہ الولید بن خالد بن طلال، جو دو دہائیوں سے زائد عرصے سے کوما میں ہیں اور پوری عرب دنیا میں "Sleeping Prince" کے نام سے جانے جاتے ہیں، نے جمعہ 18 اپریل کو اپنی 36 ویں سالگرہ منائی۔ سعودی پرنس 2005 میں لندن میں ایک خوفناک کار حادثے کے نتیجے میں کوما میں چلے گئے تھے تاہم… pic.twitter.com/KskdfaNkGU

However, no official statement was released by his family members.