Factcheck: Has ‘Saudi sleeping Prince’ finally woken up?
Images and videos circulating on social media across Africa claim that Prince Al-Waleed bin Khalid bin Talal — popularly known as the “Saudi Sleeping Prince” — has regained consciousness after being in a coma for nearly two decades.
The claim has been widely shared with millions of views and engagement on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and WhatsApp groups, with many users celebrating what they describe as a miraculous recovery.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/16gRizz1rF
The Claim
African users have been flooding social media platforms in recent days with posts claiming that Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal, also known as the “Saudi Sleeping Prince,” has woken up after almost 20 years in a coma.
Background
Prince Al-Waleed fell into a coma in 2005 following a traumatic brain injury sustained in a car accident while studying at a military college. Since then, he has remained in a persistent vegetative state.
Over the years, several videos showing him moving a finger or blinking have gone viral, sparking speculation, but no verified medical reports have ever confirmed a substantial recovery.
The Findings
FactCheck247’s investigation finds that this claim is likely false.
There has been no official confirmation from the Saudi royal family, the Talal family, or any recognized medical authority indicating that Prince Al-Waleed has regained consciousness.
Recent credible reports from NDTV and The Times of India, both published in April 2025, clearly state that the Prince remains in a coma and that his condition has not changed significantly since 2019.
A recovery of this magnitude would have been widely covered by major news outlets such as Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, or Saudi Gazette. However, none have reported any such development.
Also, factcheck247 observed that most of the video shared are either of a different person in hospital or https://youtube.com/shorts/K_BGZ53k19M?si=P_0uBpcPG344RmipAI generated clip of the prince.
The Verdict
The claim that Prince Al-Waleed bin Khaled bin Talal has woken up after nearly 20 years in a coma remains unverified and is most likely false.
