[3][4] He died during the reign of his grandson, the current Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

[9] While many Western news outlets referred to it as an overthrow, the Qatari population merely considered it to be a succession of power.

[citation needed] Khalifa's reorganization of the system of government saw a dramatic shift in the hierarchy of authority.

Two production-sharing agreements were signed with the Standard Oil Company of Ohio in January 1985 and Amoco in February 1986.

In January 1989, another production sharing agreement was signed between Qatar and the French state-owned oil company Elf Aquitaine.

[citation needed] While Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani was staying in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 1995, his son Hamad bin Khalifa seized power in another bloodless coup d'état.