LONDON: FP7 McCann MENA and MullenLowe MENA will merge to form McCann MENA following Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group and MCN, the agencies said on Monday.

The new agency will join McCann’s global network and combine the two businesses’ creative talent, regional expertise and capabilities.

Clients will also gain access to Omnicom’s wider resources across the Middle East and North Africa.

Ghassan Harfouche, group CEO of MCN, said the merger would bring together “two complementary businesses” and strengthen the agency’s offer to clients.

“It gives us greater depth across creativity, strategy and specialist capabilities, while creating the scale to respond to increasingly complex client needs,” he said.

McCann MENA will report to MCN and be led by Mounir Harfouche, who has guided MullenLowe MENA through a period of creative and business growth.

Mounir Harfouche said the new agency would draw on the creative cultures of both businesses while expanding the ideas, talent and capabilities available to clients.

“We will approach the consolidation thoughtfully, with a clear ambition for building an even stronger, future-ready proposition for the changing needs of brands across the MENA region,” he said.

Tarek Miknas, under whose leadership FP7 McCann was named MENA Network of the Year at this year’s Cannes Lions and MENA Effies, will support the transition before stepping down to pursue personal and family projects.

The agencies said existing client relationships and core teams would be maintained during the transition, while employees would have opportunities to work across a broader client portfolio and network.