Startup of the Week: 12 Car — driving in style

Short Url
Updated 29 March 2021
Follow

Startup of the Week: 12 Car — driving in style

  • 12 Car is a store specializing in selling general car accessories, particularly women’s driving gloves

JEDDAH: Glamour, style and skincare can be important considerations in a woman’s daily life. And thanks to the social reforms under Saudi Vision 2030, more and more women are driving every day — and many love car accessories.

12 Car is a store specializing in selling general car accessories, particularly women’s driving gloves.

“The idea is inspired by a woman’s love for beauty and attention to the body . . . and her exposure to the sun on a daily basis causes her wrinkles or dark spots on the hands,” Noura Saud, the founder of 12 Cars, told Arab News.

The store was established at 12 noon on the last day of 2020, and the idea of the name came from this.

“The inspiration came after seeing the leadership’s efforts to empower women, and also the effects of sunlight on my hands and my friends’ while driving,” she said.

The gloves were carefully engineered to protect hands from too much sunlight exposure, while at the same time having a chic and classy design.

“The gloves are elegantly designed, lightweight, and with a purely feminine character, with lace and light color additions, and are lined with silicone to give more stability while holding the steering wheel, and have holes to prevent sweating and allow ventilation for the hand,” she said.

“It is also designed with a touch feature on the index finger for smartphone screens, which eliminates the need to remove the glove during her outings,” she added.

UV sunscreen gloves provide a protective shield whether you are driving, allergic to sunlight exposure, or just enjoying yourself outside. “Your hands see the sun more than any other skin on your body, and thus ages greater than any other part of your body. Your hands deserve protection,” Saud said.

The founder said that UV rays accelerate the body’s natural production of melanin and, over time, melanin can cluster below the surface of the skin, causing brown spots on the hands.

Saud has some skincare tips for her fellow female drivers: “Apply sunscreen on your hands before you go out, and wear UV ray protective gloves.” 

Keep up with the Saudi brand on Instagram (@__12car)


Closing Bell: Saudi benchmark index closes lower at 10,540 

Updated 24 December 2025
Follow

Closing Bell: Saudi benchmark index closes lower at 10,540 

RIYADH: Saudi equities ended Wednesday’s session lower, with the Tadawul All Share Index falling 55.13 points, or 0.52 percent, to close at 10,540.72. 

The sell-off was mirrored across other indices, with the MSCI Tadawul 30 Index retreating 5.79 points, or 0.41 percent, to close at 1,393.32, while the parallel market Nomu slipped 74.56 points, or 0.32 percent, to 23,193.21.  

Market breadth remained firmly negative, as decliners outpaced advancers, with 207 stocks ending the session lower against just 51 gainers on the main market. 

Trading activity moderated compared to recent sessions, with volumes reaching 123.5 million shares, while total traded value stood at SR2.72 billion ($725.2 million). 

On the sectoral and stock level, Al Moammar Information Systems Co. led the gainers after surging 9.96 percent to close at SR172.30, extending its rally following a series of contract announcements tied to data center and IT infrastructure projects.  

Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. climbed 4.89 percent to SR27.48, while Naqi Water Co. advanced 3.36 percent to SR58.50. Al Yamamah Steel Industries Co. and Al-Jouf Agricultural Development Co. also posted solid gains, rising 3 percent and 2.86 percent, respectively. 

Losses, however, were concentrated in industrial names. Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Co. fell 3.67 percent to SR4.73, while Makkah Construction and Development Co. slid 3.44 percent to SR80.  

Saudi Tadawul Group Holding Co. retreated 3.28 percent to SR147.50, weighed down by broader market weakness, and Saudi Cable Co. declined 3.18 percent to SR143.  

Alkhaleej Training and Education Co. rounded out the top losers, shedding just over 3 percent. 

On the announcement front, BinDawood Holding announced the signing of a share purchase agreement to acquire 51 percent of Wonder Bakery LLC in the UAE for 96.9 million dirhams, marking a strategic expansion of its food manufacturing footprint beyond Saudi Arabia.   

The acquisition, which remains subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to support the group’s regional growth ambitions and strengthen supply chain integration.  

BinDawood shares closed at SR4.68, up 0.43 percent, reflecting a positive market reaction to the overseas expansion move.  

Meanwhile, Al Moammar Information Systems disclosed the contract sign-off for the renewal of IT systems support licenses with the Saudi Central Bank, valued at SR114.4 million, inclusive of VAT.   

The 36-month contract is expected to have a positive financial impact starting from fourth quarter of 2025, reinforcing MIS’s position as a key technology partner for critical government institutions. The stock surged to the session’s limit making it the top gainer. 

In a separate disclosure, Maharah Human Resources confirmed the completion of the sale of its entire stake in Care Shield Holding Co. through its subsidiary, Growth Avenue Investments, for a total consideration of SR434.3 million.  

The transaction involved the transfer of 41.36 percent of Care Shield’s share capital to Dallah Healthcare, with Maharah receiving the full cash proceeds.  

Despite the strategic divestment, Maharah shares closed lower, ending the session at SR6.12, down 1.29 percent.