Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – January 15, 2026 – The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is grieving the loss of Nasser bin Radan Al Rashid Al Wadaei, widely reported by local media as the country's oldest known man, who passed away at the extraordinary claimed age of 142. His death has sparked widespread tributes, admiration for his longevity and devotion, and scientific skepticism regarding the accuracy of his reported birth year.
Al Wadaei died on January 11, 2026 (with some reports citing January 8 or 7 as the date of passing), in Riyadh after a life that reportedly spanned from the late 19th century to the present day. According to family accounts and Saudi media outlets such as Okaz and Gulf News, he was born around 1883–1884 in the Dhahran Al Janoub region of southern Saudi Arabia, well before the formal unification of the modern Kingdom in 1932 by King Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Here are evocative images from the massive funeral prayers for Nasser bin Radan Al Rashid Al Wadaei in Dhahran Al Janoub, attended by thousands.
Funeral prayers were held at the Grand Mosque in Dhahran Al Janoub, drawing an estimated crowd of more than 7,000 mourners from across the region. The large turnout reflected the deep respect Al Wadaei commanded in his community as a pillar of faith, wisdom, and endurance. Following the prayers, he was laid to rest in his ancestral village of Al Rashid, where generations of his family have lived.
Al Wadaei's life is said to have encompassed the reigns of every Saudi monarch, from the founder King Abdulaziz through to the current ruler King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. In his younger years, he reportedly traveled between southern Saudi Arabia and Yemen for work—a common practice in that era. Family members described him as a man of profound religious devotion, having performed the Hajj pilgrimage more than 40 times, a remarkable feat that underscored his lifelong commitment to Islam.
His personal story included an extraordinary late-life chapter: at the age of 110, Al Wadaei reportedly married for the third time and later fathered a daughter. By the time of his passing, he left behind a vast family legacy of approximately 134 children, grandchildren, and descendants—a multi-generational clan that spans over a century.
These poignant photographs capture the scale of the communal gathering and the emotional tributes paid during the funeral service:
News of Al Wadaei's death quickly spread across Saudi social media, where he was celebrated as a living symbol of resilience, faith, and historical continuity. Many described him as a "bridge between eras," having witnessed the transformation of the Arabian Peninsula from a collection of tribal regions into a modern global power through oil wealth, rapid development, and Vision 2030 reforms.
However, the extraordinary age claim has drawn significant scrutiny from experts. Saudi Arabia's average life expectancy stands at around 78 years, and verified supercentenarians (people aged 110 or older) are rare worldwide, with the oldest documented person ever being Jeanne Calment of France, who lived to 122 years and 164 days.
Professor David Weinkove, Chair of the British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA), told Metro UK that while exceptional longevity is possible, a lifespan of 142 years stretches biological credibility. "It seems very unlikely that this person [Al Wadaei] was really 142 years old," he said. "No one can really know for certain because in a lot of parts of the world, they don’t have good records going back that far."
Weinkove explained the statistical improbability: "One of the fundamentals of ageing is that the older you are, the faster you age. So when you get to around 100, your chance of making it to the next year, to 101, is roughly 50%, so it’s like tossing a coin. It’s not impossible because there’s always a chance, but it’s like tossing a coin 40 times in a row and always landing on heads."
He acknowledged that Saudi Arabia's improving healthcare, traditional lifestyles, and dietary habits could support longer lives, but added: "So it’s possible that someone could be very long-lived in Saudi Arabia. But 142, I think, is a little bit too much to be believable."
These images illustrate the historical context of Al Wadaei's life, showing traditional Saudi villages and the southern region's landscapes where he was born and lived:
The case highlights challenges in verifying extreme ages in regions with limited historical birth records, a common issue in claims of supercentenarians from rural or pre-modern societies. No independent verification from global bodies like the Gerontology Research Group has been reported for Al Wadaei's age.
As Saudi Arabia continues to experience rapid population ageing—with projections showing a sharp rise in the older adult demographic due to declining birth rates and increasing life expectancy—stories like Al Wadaei's inspire reflection on longevity, heritage, and the human capacity for endurance. His passing marks the end of what many view as a remarkable chapter in the Kingdom's living history, even as debates about the precise details persist.
