Saudi Arabia’s ‘Oldest Man’ Reportedly Dies at 142, Claims Draw Scrutiny

A man described by local media as Saudi Arabia’s oldest living citizen has reportedly died at the age of 142, prompting both public attention and questions over the accuracy of his age.

Nasser bin Radan Al Rashid Al Wadaei passed away on January 8 in Riyadh, according to Saudi reports. Funeral prayers were held in Dhahran Al Janoub, where more than 7,000 mourners were in attendance. He was later buried in his hometown of Al Rashid.

Saudi media reports state that Al Wadaei was born in 1884. If accurate, his lifespan would have stretched across multiple generations of Saudi leadership, from the era of King Abdulaziz to the current reign of King Salman.

Family members said Al Wadaei was deeply religious and performed the Hajj pilgrimage more than 40 times during his life. He is reported to have been survived by 134 children and grandchildren. According to the family, he married for the last time at the age of 110 and later fathered a daughter.

However, experts have raised doubts about the claim that Al Wadaei was 142 years old. Saudi Arabia’s average life expectancy is approximately 78 years, making such an age statistically rare.

Professor David Weinkove, Chair of the British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA), told *Metro* that the claim is highly unlikely. He noted that reliable birth records from the late 19th century are often unavailable in many regions, making verification difficult.

Weinkove explained that survival rates decline sharply after the age of 100, with the probability of living each additional year dropping to around 50%. He compared reaching 142 years of age to “tossing a coin 40 times in a row and always getting heads.”

While Saudi Arabia is seeing a rise in its elderly population due to falling birth rates and improved healthcare, Weinkove said that a lifespan of 142 years remains implausible.

“It’s possible for someone to be very long-lived,” he said, “but 142 is beyond what current evidence supports.”