[1][2] The coup was carried out by then Crown Prince Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani who, with the support of the ruling Al Thani family, took control of the country while his father, Emir Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, was on a visit to Geneva, Switzerland.

[5][3] In response to the coup, Khalifa bin Hamad called his son an "ignorant man" and proclaimed that he was still the legitimate ruler,[1] while Hamad bin Khalifa engaged an American law firm to freeze his father's bank accounts abroad in order to deter a possible counter-coup.

[3] However, a counter-coup was attempted in February 1996 under the leadership of former Economy Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The counter-coup failed, and several of Qatar's traditional Arab allies were implicated in the plot, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

[6] After his deposition, the former Emir lived in exile in France and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates,[4][7] until he returned to Qatar in 2004.