I Love Vienna
Falling asleep in an express train while returning to Kolkata after a trip outside of West Bengal, listening to that “jhak jhak'' sound of the wheels on track was like my mother swaying me to sleep in her arms after playing all day.
Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, famously known as the Saudi “Sleeping Prince,” passed away at the age of 36 after being in a coma for two decades.
He had been in a coma since 2005, following a severe car accident in London while he was studying at a military academy. He was 15 at the time.
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Post the accident, he was moved to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he remained on life support for 20 years. His father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, nephew of billionaire Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, refused to withdraw life support, with faith in the divine and hope that his son might recover.
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As reported by Gulf News, Prince Al-Waleed was born in April 1990 and was the eldest son of Prince Khaled, a senior member of the Saudi royal family.
The prince’s death at a specialist medical facility in Riyadh has resulted in heartfelt messages being shared across the nation and beyond.
The hashtag #SleepingPrince trended widely on social media, as thousands paid tribute to what many described as a story of faith, resilience, and a deep bond between a father and his son, who never gave up until the very end.
The funeral took place on Sunday, 20 July, at one of Riyadh’s oldest and most prominent mosques, where prayers were offered.
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