A recent Facebook post claimed that Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal—widely known as Saudi Arabia’s “Sleeping Prince”—had regained consciousness after being in a coma for 20 years. The claim quickly gained traction online, drawing widespread attention and speculation across various social media platforms.
Prince Al-Waleed, the great-grandson of Saudi Arabia’s founder, King Abdulaziz, was involved in a severe car accident in 2005 that left him in a comatose state. Since then, he has remained on life support at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh. Over the past two decades, he has been sustained through a feeding tube and has shown only minimal signs of consciousness.
According to an article written when the prince turned 36 on April 18, 2025 from Roya News, the news arm of a Jordanian mass media group, “The last documented movements occurred in 2019, when he reportedly showed signs of limited awareness through small gestures, such as lifting a finger or slightly moving his head—though these moments did not indicate a return to full consciousness.” These reports, while significant to his family and supporters, were never interpreted by the medical community as evidence of recovery.
In our investigation, we found no credible confirmation from Saudi authorities, medical professionals, or reputable news agencies that Prince Al-Waleed has regained full consciousness. The recent spike in rumors appears to coincide with the 20th anniversary of his coma, possibly contributing to a renewed public interest in his condition.
Interestingly, the viral posts promoting the claim also included unrelated hashtags such as “Iran,” “Nuclear,” and “Gaza.” These terms do not bear any direct relevance to the prince’s medical state and suggest an attempt to exploit trending geopolitical topics to increase visibility. This tactic is commonly used in disinformation campaigns aiming to divert attention or boost engagement.
Given the lack of substantiated evidence and the high likelihood that such a development would have received extensive media coverage globally, we assess the claim that Prince Al-Waleed has awakened from his coma as likely false. Until credible and medically verified reports emerge, this story should be treated with skepticism.
