KAZAN - Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Digital (TAG.GD) took part in the 17th International Economic Forum titled ‘Russia – Islamic World: Kazan Forum’, held in Kazan, the capital city of Tatarstan, May 12-17, 2026 with a wide international participation.
During the Forum, Mr. Khaled Khader, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Department Manager at TAG.GD, represented HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, TAG.GD founder and chairman, as a speaker in four specialized sessions.
In the first session under the title “Exporting Information Technology Solutions to the Islamic World’, Mr. Khader outlined TAG.GD’s vision toward cooperation in the fields of AI and cybersecurity, pointing to the Jordan’s aspiration for collaboration with Tatarstan and Russia in such areas.
He further stated the importance of enhancing digital sovereignty and shifting from a software-leasing model toward a model of joint development among Arab countries, Russia, and Tatarstan, affirming TAG.GD’s corporate capabilities through its more than 100 offices worldwide.
During the event, Mr. Khader announced the forthcoming launch of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Digital Polytechnic, featuring dedicated schools of AI and cybersecurity, in partnership with edX, MIT, Harvard, and IBM. 
In the following session, Mr. Khader participated as a designated co-moderator alongside Mr. Alexey Bonkov, head of Advanced Research at Russia’s Internet Development Institute.
The session served as the media conference forum of Russia–Islamic World Strategic Vision Group, held on May 14, 2026, and focused on the use of AI in journalism and media, combating deepfakes and misinformation, and preserving cultural and spiritual heritage in the era of digital transformation.
In the 3rd session entitled “Creative Economy, organized by Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, Mr. Khader participated as a speaker, tackling intellectual property monetization and the creative economy.
He also outlined the four main mechanisms for monetizing intellectual property: licensing, joint ventures, co-development, and digital distribution. He drew upon the experience of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP), established in 1972, as a leading institutional model in the field.
Mr. Khader also referred to the book “Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh: The Mind Behind the Machine”—the first book authored by AI about the life journey and writings of an individual without human guidance, as a live example of AI-generated intellectual property. He emphasized that the Arab and Islamic worlds are creative and knowledge partners, not merely consumer markets.
In recognition of his contribution, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation awarded Mr. Khader an official letter of appreciation.
Mr. Khader further participated in the 4th session titled “Russia–Middle East and North Africa: Innovative Development of the Creative Economy.” In the opining, he presented a practical bilateral proposal aimed at bridging creative technical education between the Middle East and North Africa and Russia through linking the Universal University of Russia with the TAG.GD Digital Polytechnic initiative.
In this session, Mr. Khader underlined the framework of technology, talent, and trust as the three pillars of cooperation between the MENA region and Russia. He also presented the TAG.GD Digital Polytechnic as a gateway for introducing Russian AI and cybersecurity curricula into Arab markets and called for the establishment of a formal educational exchange mechanism connecting a partner Russian university with TAG.GD Digital Polytechnic.
Among the distinguished participants in this session was Mr. Alexander Krainov, director for Development of AI Technologies at Yandex.
Mr. Khader also received a formal letter of appreciation from Ms. Taliya Minullina, member of the Federal Organizing Committee and a member of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan, in recognition of his participation in the Conference.
It is worth mentioning that the Conference recorded unprecedented levels of international participation this year, attracting more than 23,000 participants representing 99 countries. It also witnessed the signing of dozens of international agreements and received extensive global media coverage.
Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin sent an official welcome message to the participants, considering that the Kazan Forum serves as the leading economic platform for dialogue between Russia and the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and has been granted federal status by presidential decree.