The Middle East Communication Networks is made up of some of the top advertising, media and marketing agency brands in the region. These include (to date, December 2006) leading agencies specialized in various disciplines from mainstream advertising (above the line agencies, as they were called earlier), to agencies specialized in media buying and planning, brand development, relationship marketing, digital and emerging media, public relations and image management, etc. These agency brands work independently as operations and in most cases have their own brand networks across the region. Today 1650+ people work across 18 countries in 68 different agency offices in the region.