...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...'s "Sleeping Prince" for spending nearly two decades in a coma, has passed away at the age of 36, as confirmed by his family over the weekend.
His death, shared widely on social media, marks the end of a long and heartbreaking chapter that touched hearts across Saudi Arabia and beyond.
He had been in a coma since 2005, when he was just 15 years old, after a car accident in London. He suffered a serious brain haemorrhage and was taken to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh.
There, he remained on a ventilator and in a vegetative state for years. Despite consultations with several specialists, he never regained consciousness.