The present invention is directed to a process for the preparation of a doped anionic clay. In said process a trivalent metal source is reacted with a divalent metal source, at least one of the metal sources being either doped boehmite, doped MgO or doped brucite, to obtain a doped anionic clay. Suitable dopants are compounds containing elements selected from the group of alkaline earth metals (for instance Ca and Ba), alkaline metals, transition metals (for example Co, Mn, Fe, Ti, Zr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Mo, W, V, Sn), actinides, rare earth metals such as La, Ce, and Nd, noble metals such as Pt and Pd, silicon, gallium, boron, titanium, and phosphorus.