RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower on Thursday, falling 164.08 points, or 1.49 percent, to end the session at 10,840.94.

Trading turnover on the main index reached SR5.34 billion ($1.42 billion), with only 14 stocks recording gains while 238 declined.

The Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu, also saw a downturn, losing 425.57 points, or 1.56 percent, to close at 26,798.14. A total of 28 stocks advanced while 63 retreated. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index slipped 13.42 points, or 0.95 percent, to finish at 1,392.04.

SEDCO Capital REIT Fund emerged as the session’s best performer, with its share price rising 0.88 percent to SR6.85. Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co. followed with a 0.71 percent gain to SR19.84, while Tihama Advertising and Public Relations Co. rose 0.67 percent to SR15.10.

On the downside, Al-Omran Industrial Trading Co. recorded the steepest loss, falling 9.15 percent to SR26.30. AYYAN Investment Co. dropped 7.35 percent to SR12.60, and Al Taiseer Group Talco Industrial Co. declined 7.26 percent to SR40.85.

On the announcements front, the Saudi National Bank announced plans to issue US dollar-denominated notes under its Euro Medium-Term Note Program.

According to a Tadawul filing, the issuance will be conducted through a special purpose vehicle and will be offered to eligible investors in Saudi Arabia and globally.

The bank has appointed Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC, DBS Bank Ltd., Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C., Goldman Sachs International, HSBC Bank plc, J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Mashreqbank psc, and Mizuho International plc as joint lead managers and book-runners.

SNB Capital Co., SMBC Bank International plc, and Standard Chartered were also mandated. The proceeds from the offering will be used to enhance Tier 2 capital, support general corporate purposes, and advance SNB’s strategic goals.

Final terms of the issuance will be determined based on market conditions. SNB shares edged up 0.14 percent to close at SR34.70.

Meanwhile, Yaqeen Capital Co. announced it has deposited proceeds from the sale of fractional shares following a recent capital increase. A total of 308 shares were sold, generating SR3,451.76, with an average price of SR11.23 per share. The proceeds have been distributed to eligible shareholders via their investment-linked accounts.

DHAKA: When Sharmin Akter Pinky sat behind the steering wheel for the first time, it was because of her aunt, who encouraged her to venture into a field which, in Bangladesh, had traditionally been dominated by men.

“She used to inspire me to be an independent woman and to do something with my own abilities,” Pinky told Arab News.

Her aunt saw women learning to drive at a school in Dhaka and convinced the rest of the family that it would be the right path for her niece as well.

“She kept insisting that if the other girls could do it, I would also be able to do the same,” Pinky said.

“This is how I stepped into this driving career, with the support of my parents, uncle, and aunt.”

Pinky was 20 at the time. Now, eight years later, she is a professional driver working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.

The all-female driving school she enrolled in was opened by BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee), Bangladesh’s largest development organization, in 2012. Each year, more and more women have been taking the classes — making the wheel their tool for earning a livelihood and building a career.

“There was a time when people had a very negative mindset about girls entering the driving profession, but things have improved a lot since then. I would encourage more women to take it up. Girls should be independent and explore the world around them,” Pinky said.

For her, it also comes with a personal mission to help empower others who may not have had as much support from their families as she did.

In Pinky’s village, it was not widely accepted that women could work.

She said: “In the early days, when I went back to the village during holidays, people would say things like ‘This isn’t a respectable job,’ or ‘You’ll have trouble getting married,’ or ‘You might fall in with the wrong crowd.’

“But my father always stood by me. He told me not to listen to what people around us said. He encouraged me to focus on being a good human being, doing honest work, and helping others improve their lives.

“Later, I brought two other girls from my village, arranged driving training for them, and helped them find jobs. Now, people admit that driving can be a good job for women too. I feel proud I have started something.”

For Sharmina Akter Banu, who now also works at FAO, driving offered a means of survival.

When her father and husband passed away, she was left alone caring for her 18-month-old child, younger siblings, and mother.

“I received an offer from the BRAC Driving School to take driving training. I completed the training over a period of three months. After that, I got a job as a professional driver,” she said.

“At that time all of my siblings were still attending school. With the income from my driving job, I took on the responsibility of supporting my younger siblings. Thanks to that, all of them were able to complete their education.”

Banu’s younger brother is now pursuing his honors degree, and her son is completing high school.

The job has become a source of pride for her. She has a stable profession, is financially independent, has been able to support her family, and feels like an equal member of society.

“I’m surrounded by many male drivers and, among them, I am the only female. It’s a matter of pride for me, because as a woman I’ve been able to work in this challenging profession alongside men,” she said.

“Wherever I notice a female driver, it fills my heart with joy. More and more girls are coming into this profession. And they are doing well.”

Banu and Pinky are among more than 3,500 professional women drivers trained by BRAC. They come from various parts of Bangladesh and different backgrounds.

“We have BRAC’s network in the remotest parts of the country … We receive applications from minorities and underprivileged women,” Abdul Quddus, who is in charge of the organization’s driving schools, told Arab News.

“After receiving training, the female drivers start working at different organizations, especially with international NGOs … To date, all the women who received professional driving training from us are doing well at their workplaces.”

They are contributing not only to the workforce and efforts to change social norms, but also to improving road safety in a country where traffic accidents are common.

“The society has now mostly overcome the stereotype that driving is mostly a male job,” Quddus said.

“Women can play a significant role in ensuring road safety. They don’t get involved in risky driving like men, and they are more respectful of the traffic rules.”