Saudi Arabia's ‘Sleeping Prince' turns 36: a family's 20-year vigil for a miracle

Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal has been in a coma since 2005.
Image: NDTV screenshot
The story of Saudi royal Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, often referred to as the "Sleeping Prince", is as heartbreaking as it is thought-provoking.
Since 2005, this young man, once a vibrant 16-year-old with dreams of serving in a British military college, has been in a deep coma following a severe car accident, according to NDTV.
Now, 20 years later, his family remains steadfast in their faith, refusing to withdraw life support despite medical consensus deeming his condition irreversible.
The ongoing saga is a stark reminder of the profound moral, ethical, and emotional dilemmas faced by families and medical professionals when grappling with such decisions.
At its heart lies a question that transcends culture and geography: When does hope become a burden, and who decides when to let go?
The case became a global conversation in April 2025, as the prince turned 36 years old.
The family's unwavering belief in a miracle, despite two decades of medical diagnoses and prognoses labelling his condition irreversible, has reignited debates on medical ethics and the role of faith in healthcare decisions.
An old statement resurfaced online of the prince's father, Khaled bin Talal, stating that his persistence is rooted in faith. 'If God had wanted him to die in the accident, he would be in his grave right now'.
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۔ سعودی پرنس 2005 میں لندن میں ایک خوفناک کار حادثے کے نتیجے میں کوما میں چلے گئے تھے تاہم… pic.twitter.com/Riir0TkxaH — Your Desire (@YousafK53695321) April 22, 2025
His words struck a chord with many who share similar religious convictions. At the same time, sceptics point to the immense physical, emotional, and financial toll such decisions can take, not only on the family but also on healthcare systems. While the decision to keep someone on life support for decades is not without consequences.
Beyond the emotional toll, the financial strain can be staggering. Reports suggest that long-term care for patients in comas can cost anywhere from $70,000 to $150,000 annually, depending on the country and medical facilities involved.
For the majority of families, such costs are unsustainable, often leading to difficult compromises. In the case of Al-Waleed, however, financial resources are not a concern.
As a member of Saudi Arabia's royal family, his care is provided at the state-of-the-art King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. But for countless others, the decision to continue life support may come at the expense of their own financial stability.
This is not an isolated story. Families around the world face comparable situations, though perhaps less publicised. According to a 2021 study published in "Critical Care Medicine", around 6% of ICU patients in the U.S. remain in prolonged states of unconsciousness, such as comas or vegetative states.
In many cases, the decision to continue or withdraw life support becomes a deeply personal one, influenced by cultural, religious, and emotional factors.
Medical professionals, too, bear the weight of these dilemmas. While their primary responsibility is to prioritise the well-being of patients, they must also respect the wishes of families, even when those wishes conflict with clinical evidence.
In cases like Al-Waleed's, where the prognosis is considered irreversible, doctors often advocate for withdrawing life support, citing the importance of quality of life over mere biological existence. However, families may view such recommendations as giving up on their loved one.
The challenge is balancing the scientific evidence with the family's emotional and spiritual needs. Doctors are trained to save lives, but they're also trained to recognise when further intervention is futile.
It's a heartbreaking conversation to have, but a necessary one. Perhaps the most poignant aspect of this story is the lost potential of a life once full of promise.
Al-Waleed had ambitions of serving in the military, a dream now frozen in time. For his family, every day on life support is an act of love, a testament to their belief that miracles can happen. But for many others, such prolonged states of limbo spark questions about what the patient would have wanted.
If he could speak, would he ask to be kept alive indefinitely, or would he have chosen to let go? These are questions that haunt families worldwide, and they often remain unanswered.
At its core, the story is not just about one family or one culture, it's a universal tale of love, hope, and the human struggle to find meaning in loss.
It forces us to confront uncomfortable questions about mortality, faith, and the limits of modern medicine.
For families facing similar dilemmas, the 'Sleeping Prince' serves as both a source of inspiration and a reminder of the weight such decisions carry.
Whether driven by faith, science, or love, these choices reflect the complexity of human life and the enduring hope that, even in the darkest of times, something miraculous might still be possible.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

IOL News

09-06-2025

• IOL News

Men report increased penis size after using Ozempic

Some men are claiming that Ozempic is making their penises larger. Image: FounderTips / Pexels While Ozempic has become known for helping users shed unwanted kilos, some men are claiming the drug is making their penises appear larger. Several male users of the popular weight-loss and diabetes drug have taken to Reddit to report unexpected changes in their anatomy. 'I recently measured myself down there and noticed I gained about one inch,' one Reddit user wrote on an Ozempic-focused thread. 'Now, people might say it's just from fat loss, but when I measured four years ago, I was actually thinner.' 'I also bone-pressed during measurement before and also this time,' he adds. Men are claiming that Ozempic makes their penises bigger. Image: AFP Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ He concludes by asking if anyone else noticed this change in themselves. This got many men talking, with some claiming that they have experienced the same thing. 'Yes. I gained 1.5 inches in length,' another user replied. 'No joke. Like you, I know what I was working with before I gained a lot of weight. After about seven months on Tirzepatide in my case, I gained 1.5 inches. Definitely not all just from fat loss.' Others echoed the experience with one man saying, 'Yep, I noticed that happen to me as well.' Another added, 'I believe this is true, even my wife has noticed the change down there in me. It definitely has that side effect.' However, not everyone is convinced that Ozempic is directly causing actual penile growth. Many users, who pointed to a more anatomical explanation, say that weight loss around the pubic area can make the penis appear longer, even if its true size hasn't changed. 'It's the weight loss around the pubic area. It just looks bigger (which doesn't suck) and probablt works better,' one commenter explained. Another chimed in with a straightforward take: 'FUPA is a thing. Fat Upper Pubic Area. When you lose weight, the shaft of the penis protrudes more. It's just anatomy!' Supporting the trend, a report from noted that the average British penis size has increased by 0.46 inches (11,684 mm) between 2022 and 2024. While attributing this to Ozempic and similar drugs may be a stretch, it's a theory gaining traction in some circles. Dr. Richard Viney, a consultant urological surgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, offered some context. 'Men's penises shorten as they get older due to increasing body fat and prostate size, which draw the penis inward. It's theoretically possible that new drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which promote weight loss, could make the penis appear larger as fat is reduced.' So, while Ozempic might not be a miracle growth drug, for some men, shedding kilos seems to come with unexpected, and clearly most welcome, visual enhancements. Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. IOL Lifestyle

TimesLIVE

05-06-2025

• TimesLIVE

Surge in new opioids, designer drugs threatens Europe: EU drug agency

Massive shipments of previously unknown recreational designer drugs and potent new opioids are threatening Europe, while traffic of cocaine and cannabis is worsening, according to the European Union Drugs Agency's annual report published on Thursday. Seizures of synthetic cathinones — stimulants chemically akin to the active ingredient in khat, a plant widely consumed in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula — reached 37 metric tons in 2023, primarily imported from India. Seven new cathinones were identified last year, suggesting their growing prevalence. The report also warns of new synthetic opioids, particularly nitazenes, which it says pose 'severe poisoning' risks. Nitazenes can be orders of magnitude stronger than heroin — or even fentanyl — and have been linked by US and British authorities to increases in overdose deaths. The report — which compiled data from the 27 EU member states plus Norway and Turkey — stresses the need for improved monitoring and alert systems, as well as better preparedness and cross-sector collaboration to combat drug-related crime and public health risks. Meanwhile, cannabis remained Europe's most consumed illicit drug, with increasingly potent products complicating health risk assessments. The average tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in cannabis resin has doubled over the past decade, the report says. In 2024 authorities detected 18 new varieties of semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), which in many countries can be sold legally because those molecules are often not explicitly banned. Cocaine use is also rising, as shown by record seizures of 419 tons in 2023. Major ports in Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands are key entry points.

eNCA

04-06-2025

• eNCA

Million-plus pilgrims begin hajj under blazing sun

More than a million pilgrims joined Islam's most important rite under a beating sun on Wednesday, as the hajj kicked off with the Saudi hosts scrambling to avoid last year's 1,000-plus deaths in sweltering heat. With temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, robed pilgrims slowly circled the Kaaba, the black cube at the heart of Mecca's Grand Mosque which is Islam's holiest site. Others have arrived en masse in the sprawling tent city of Mina on Mecca's outskirts, where they will stay overnight before the hajj's high-point Thursday -- prayers on Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Mohammed is believed to have delivered his final sermon. "You feel like you're not in this world," Khitam, a 63-year-old pilgrim, told AFP by phone, saying that "before hajj, I used to watch the Grand Mosque on TV all day." Authorities said about 1.5 million pilgrims had arrived in Saudi Arabia for the hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam that must be performed at least once by all Muslims with the means. Authorities have ratcheted up heat protection measures such as extra shade to avoid a repeat of last year, when 1,301 people died as temperatures hit 51.8C. On Wednesday, pilgrims will perform the tawaf -- walking seven times around the Kaaba, which Muslims pray towards each day. Before entering Mecca, pilgrims must first enter a state of purity, called ihram, which requires special dress and behaviour. AFP | HAZEM BADER Men don a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers, regardless of their social status or nationality. Women, in turn, wear loose dresses exposing just their faces and hands. Pilgrims arriving on buses had already begun trickling into Mina on Tuesday afternoon, greeted by staff offering them coffee and dates. "I am so happy, it's such an amazing feeling," said Reem al-Shogre, a 35-year-old Saudi performing the pilgrimage for the first time. - Artificial intelligence - Following last year's lethal heatwave, authorities have mobilised more than 40 government agencies and 250,000 officials to improve protection. Shaded areas have been enlarged by 50,000 square metres, thousands of additional medics will be on standby and more than 400 cooling units will be deployed, Hajj Minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah told AFP last week. AFP | - Artificial intelligence technology will help process the deluge of data, including video from a new fleet of drones, to better manage the massive crowds. Authorities said most of the deaths last year were among unregistered pilgrims who lacked access to air-conditioned tents and buses. This year, they have cracked down on the unregistered, using frequent raids, drone surveillance and a barrage of text alerts. A billboard reading "No hajj without permit" greeted pilgrims as they arrived in Mecca. Hajj permits are allocated to countries on a quota basis and distributed to individuals by lottery. But even for those who can obtain them, the steep costs prompt many to attempt the hajj without a permit, even though they risk arrest and deportation if caught. Large crowds at the hajj have proved hazardous in the past, most notably in 2015 when a stampede during the "stoning the devil" ritual in Mina killed up to 2,300 people in the deadliest hajj disaster. Saudi Arabia earns billions of dollars a year from the hajj, and the lesser pilgrimage known as umrah, undertaken at other times of the year.