Saudi ‘Sleeping Prince' Al Waleed passes away after 20 years in coma
Prince Khalid Bin Talal mourned his son on his account on X (formerly Twitter), writing: 'O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. Enter among My [righteous] servants and enter My Paradise.'
He added: 'With hearts that believe in God's will and decree, and with deep sadness and sorrow, we mourn our beloved son, Prince Al-Waleed Bin Khalid Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God have mercy on him, who passed away today.'
Prince Khalid announced that the funeral prayer will be held on Sunday, with mourning gatherings to continue for three days: Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
After the news of the prince's death broke, social media was filled with condolences. Users shared prayers and messages of sympathy with the family, asking God to have mercy on the late prince.
Over the years, the emotional story of 'The Sleeping Prince' continued to captivate the public, especially amid repeated rumors about his possible death or signs of waking.
The late prince suffered a devastating car accident in 2005 while he was studying at a military college. The incident left him in a coma and earned him the nickname 'The Sleeping Prince.'
Despite numerous intensive medical efforts, including visits from international doctors – a team of American specialists and a Spanish neurologist – no significant improvement in his condition was ever achieved.
His family never lost hope, with his father often sharing images by his son's bedside to reassure loved ones and supporters of his son's condition.
There were moments that renewed hope. In 2019, Princess Rima bint Talal posted a video showing the prince moving his head from right to left, writing:
'The Almighty, the Merciful... Al-Waleed bin Khalid is moving his head from side to side. Praise and thanks be to You, O Lord.'
In April this year, Prince Al-Waleed's name trended again across social platforms after Princess Rima posted another photo of him, reigniting the story of faith, patience, and endurance.
Princess Rima bint Talal, sister of Prince Khalid, shared a touching message on her official account:
'My beloved Al-Waleed bin Khalid, twenty-one years and you are always present in our hearts and in the prayers of your loved ones. O Allah, heal Your servant Al-Waleed – only You know his weakness, O Lord of the heavens and the earth.'
Just months ago, Prince Khalid announced medical developments after doctors noticed swelling in the prince's glands on both sides, prompting further tests.
In 2020, after 15 years in a coma, Al-Waleed moved his hand — a moment that once again sparked hope among family and supporters.
Since falling into a coma in 2005, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid bin Talal became a symbol of patience and deep faith in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two decades passed, yet his story remained alive in the hearts of the Saudi people — a lasting symbol of hope and resilience.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
Israeli forces kill over 1,000 aid-seekers in Gaza since May: UN
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food in the Gaza Strip, mostly near aid sites run by an American contractor, the UN human rights office said on Tuesday. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The UN and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 25 people across Gaza, according to local health officials. Desperation is mounting in the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts say is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and nearly two-year offensive. A breakdown of law and order has led to widespread looting and contributed to chaos and violence around aid deliveries. Men walk carrying sacks of flour in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday. AFP Israel accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid - without providing evidence of widespread diversion - and blames UN agencies for failing to deliver food it has allowed in. The military says it has only fired warning shots near aid sites. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American contractor, rejected what it said were "false and exaggerated statistics' from the United Nations. The Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, said Tuesday that 101 people, including 80 children, have died in recent days from starvation. The deaths could not be independently verified, but UN officials and major international aid groups say the conditions for starvation exist in Gaza. During hunger crises, people can die from malnutrition or from common illnesses or injuries that the body is not strong enough to fight. Israel eased a 2½-month blockade in May, allowing a trickle of aid in through the longstanding UN-run system and the newly created GHF. Aid groups say it's not nearly enough. Dozens of Palestinians lined up Tuesday outside a charity kitchen in Gaza City, hoping for a bowl of watery tomato soup. The lucky ones got small chunks of eggplant. As supplies ran out, people holding pots pushed and shoved to get to the front. Smoke rises after an explosion in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border, on Tuesday. Reuters Nadia Mdoukh, a pregnant woman who was displaced from her home and lives in a tent with her husband and three children, said she worries about being shoved or trampled on, and about heat stroke as daytime temperatures hover above 90 F (32 C). "I do it for my children," she said. "This is famine - there is no bread or flour.' The UN World Food Program says Gaza's hunger crisis has reached "new and astonishing levels of desperation.' Ross Smith, the agency's director for emergencies, told reporters Monday that nearly 100,000 women and children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, and a third of Gaza's population is going without food for multiple days in a row. MedGlobal, a charity working in Gaza, said five children as young as 3 months had died from starvation in the past three days. "This is a deliberate and human-made disaster," said Joseph Belliveau, its executive director. "Those children died because there is not enough food in Gaza and not enough medicines, including IV fluids and therapeutic formula, to revive them.' Mourners react during the funeral of Palestinians, including aid seekers, killed in Israeli attacks, according to medics, at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Tuesday. Reuters The charity said food is in such short supply that its own staff members suffer dizziness and headaches. Of the 1,054 people killed while trying to get food since late May, 766 were killed while heading to sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to the UN human rights office. The others were killed when gunfire erupted around UN convoys or aid sites. Thameen al-Kheetan, a spokesperson for the UN rights office, says its figures come from "multiple reliable sources on the ground,' including medics, humanitarian and human rights organizations. He said the numbers were still being verified according to the office's strict methodology. Palestinian witnesses and health officials say Israeli forces regularly fire toward crowds of thousands of people heading to the GHF sites. The military says it has only fired warning shots, and GHF says its armed contractors have only fired into the air on a few occasions to try to prevent stampedes. A joint statement from 28 Western-aligned countries on Monday condemned the "the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians.' Demonstrators hold signs, during a protest demanding an end to the war in Gaza and the release of all hostages, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Tuesday. Reuters "The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' read the statement, which was signed by the United Kingdom, France and other countries friendly to Israel. "The Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable.' Israel and the United States rejected the statement, blaming Hamas for prolonging the war by not accepting Israeli terms for a ceasefire and the release of hostages abducted in the fighter-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the fighting. Hamas has said it will release the remaining hostages only in return for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel says it will keep fighting until Hamas has been defeated or disarmed. Israeli strikes killed at least 25 people Tuesday across Gaza, according to local health officials. One strike hit tents sheltering displaced people in the built-up seaside Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, killing at least 12 people, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. The Israeli military said that it wasn't aware of such a strike by its forces. Israeli activists gather at HaBima Square for a protest march towards the Israeli defence ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on Tuesday denouncing the ongoing food shortage and forced displacement of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. AFP The dead included three women and three children, the hospital director, Dr. Mohamed Abu Selmiya, told The Associated Press. Thirty-eight other Palestinians were wounded, he said. An overnight strike that hit crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks in Gaza City killed eight, hospitals said. At least 118 were wounded, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. "A bag of flour covered in blood and death," said Mohammed Issam, who was in the crowd and said some people were run over by trucks in the chaos. "How long will this humiliation continue?' The Israeli military had no immediate comment on that strike. Israel blames the deaths of Palestinian civilians on Hamas, because the fighters operate in densely populated areas. Israel renewed its offensive in March with a surprise bombardment after ending an earlier ceasefire. Talks on another truce have dragged on for weeks despite pressure from US President Donald Trump. Hamas-led fighters abducted 251 people in the Oct. 7 attack, and killed around 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive. Associated Press
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Gulf Today
Saudi ‘Sleeping Prince' Al Waleed passes away after 20 years in coma
A wave of sorrow swept across social media following the official announcement of the death of 'The Sleeping Prince', Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid bin Talal Al Saud, at the age of 36. He had spent 20 of those years in a coma after a tragic car accident in 2005, which left him unconscious ever since. Prince Khalid Bin Talal mourned his son on his account on X (formerly Twitter), writing: 'O tranquil soul, return to your Lord, well-pleased and pleasing [to Him]. Enter among My [righteous] servants and enter My Paradise.' He added: 'With hearts that believe in God's will and decree, and with deep sadness and sorrow, we mourn our beloved son, Prince Al-Waleed Bin Khalid Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, may God have mercy on him, who passed away today.' Prince Khalid announced that the funeral prayer will be held on Sunday, with mourning gatherings to continue for three days: Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. After the news of the prince's death broke, social media was filled with condolences. Users shared prayers and messages of sympathy with the family, asking God to have mercy on the late prince. Over the years, the emotional story of 'The Sleeping Prince' continued to captivate the public, especially amid repeated rumors about his possible death or signs of waking. The late prince suffered a devastating car accident in 2005 while he was studying at a military college. The incident left him in a coma and earned him the nickname 'The Sleeping Prince.' Despite numerous intensive medical efforts, including visits from international doctors – a team of American specialists and a Spanish neurologist – no significant improvement in his condition was ever achieved. His family never lost hope, with his father often sharing images by his son's bedside to reassure loved ones and supporters of his son's condition. There were moments that renewed hope. In 2019, Princess Rima bint Talal posted a video showing the prince moving his head from right to left, writing: 'The Almighty, the Merciful... Al-Waleed bin Khalid is moving his head from side to side. Praise and thanks be to You, O Lord.' In April this year, Prince Al-Waleed's name trended again across social platforms after Princess Rima posted another photo of him, reigniting the story of faith, patience, and endurance. Princess Rima bint Talal, sister of Prince Khalid, shared a touching message on her official account: 'My beloved Al-Waleed bin Khalid, twenty-one years and you are always present in our hearts and in the prayers of your loved ones. O Allah, heal Your servant Al-Waleed – only You know his weakness, O Lord of the heavens and the earth.' Just months ago, Prince Khalid announced medical developments after doctors noticed swelling in the prince's glands on both sides, prompting further tests. In 2020, after 15 years in a coma, Al-Waleed moved his hand — a moment that once again sparked hope among family and supporters. Since falling into a coma in 2005, Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid bin Talal became a symbol of patience and deep faith in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two decades passed, yet his story remained alive in the hearts of the Saudi people — a lasting symbol of hope and resilience.
UAE Moments
4 days ago
- UAE Moments
Outstanding Adek-Rated Private Schools in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi offers parents an impressive selection of private schools, with more than 200 nurseries and schools delivering a variety of curriculums. If you're looking for the best of the best, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) makes it easier by regularly inspecting schools under its Irtiqaa evaluation programme. Join our FREE WhatsApp channel to dive into a world of real-time engagement! These inspections, usually conducted every two years, assess schools based on: Students' achievement Personal and social development with innovation skills Quality of teaching and assessment Curriculum quality Leadership and management Schools are rated on a scale: Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak, or Very Weak. Schools are also required to display their rating at the entrance for transparency. If you're searching for an Outstanding school for your child, here are the 13 private schools in Abu Dhabi that currently hold this top rating (as of their latest inspections). 1. American Community School, Saadiyat Island Curriculum: American Fees: AED56,526 (KG1) – AED99,060 (Grade 12) Last rating: Outstanding (2022–2023) After 50 years at Bateen, the school moved to Saadiyat Island in 2024. 2. Cranleigh School, Saadiyat Island Curriculum: British Fees: AED71,500 (Pre-school) – AED105,980 (Year 13) Last rating: Outstanding (2022–2023) Part of Aldar's education portfolio, Cranleigh opened in 2014. 3. Repton Foundation School, Al Reem Island Curriculum: British Fees: AED63,740 (FS1) – AED70,700 (Year 2) Last rating: Outstanding (2024–2025) Covers FS1 to Year 1, with its sister school rated Very Good for Years 2–13. 4. Muna British Academy, Al Danah Curriculum: British Fees: AED50,936 (FS1) – AED56,538 (Year 7) Last rating: Outstanding (2022–2023) Currently a primary school, with plans to expand to Year 13. 5. Bateen World Academy, Al Manhal Curriculum: British / IB Fees: AED54,000 (FS1) – AED75,310 (Year 13) Last rating: Outstanding (2024–2025) Offers both IB and English National Curriculum, under Aldar Education. 6. The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Boys, Al Khalidiyah Curriculum: American Fees: AED45,000 (Pre-school) – AED78,050 (Grade 12) Last rating: Outstanding (2024–2025) Part of the Sheikh Zayed Academies group, transitioning boys after Grade 3. 7. The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls, Al Manhal Curriculum: American Fees: AED33,910 (Pre-school) – AED78,160 (Grade 12) Last rating: Outstanding (2024–2025) Sister school to the boys' academy, following Massachusetts State and MOE curriculum. 8. The British School Al Khubairat, Al Mushrif Curriculum: British Fees: AED51,410 (FS1) – AED74,560 (Year 13) Last rating: Outstanding (2022–2023) A non-profit founded in 1968, also known as the 'Embassy School'. 9. Canadian International School, Khalifa City Curriculum: Canadian (Alberta) Fees: AED39,010 (KG1) – AED51,820 (Grade 12) Last rating: Outstanding (2023–2024) Blends Canadian Alberta curriculum with UAE Ministry of Education standards. 10. Merryland International School, Al Musaffah Curriculum: British Fees: AED26,200 (KG1) – AED46,220 (Grade 12) Last rating: Outstanding (2022–2023) Follows Cambridge International Curriculum for core and English National for others. 11. The British International School, Zayed City Curriculum: British / IB Fees: AED54,204 (FS1) – AED76,952 (Year 13) Last rating: Outstanding (2021–2022) Part of the prestigious Nord Anglia Education group. 12. Yasmina British Academy, Khalifa City Curriculum: British Fees: AED49,740 (FS1) – AED67,270 (Year 13) Last rating: Outstanding (2022–2023) Also rated Outstanding by British Schools Overseas (BSO), part of Aldar Academies. 13. Brighton College Al Ain (Bloom Academy) Curriculum: British Fees: AED55,090 (FS1) – AED90,630 (Year 13) Last rating: Outstanding (2022–2023) A Bloom Education school, also awarded Outstanding by BSO in 2023. How Are Fees Regulated? The fees mentioned are based on school websites or Tamm and cover tuition only, excluding transport, registration, and other charges. Any fee increase must first be approved by Adek, and schools must display fees and payment plans clearly online. You can view each school's full inspection report and even filter schools by rating, fees, and grade through the Tamm app. If you want the best education for your child in Abu Dhabi, these Outstanding-rated private schools set the standard high, combining strong academics, holistic development, and excellent leadership.
