Ariana Regulatory News (AAU)

25 March 2021

AIM: AAU

Director/PDMR Shareholdings

Director Increases Shareholding following Exercise of Options

Total Voting Rights

Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"), the AIM-listed exploration and development company operating in Europe, announces that it has been informed of the following transactions:

· on 24 March 2021, Michael de Villiers, Chairman, exercised vested options pursuant to the Ariana Resources PLC 2018 Share Option Plan. Mr de Villiers exercised options over 3,000,000 new ordinary shares in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") at the price of 1.55p per share. Application will be made for the new Ordinary Shares, which will rank pari passu with all existing Ordinary Shares, to be admitted to trading on AIM on or around 31 March 2021 ("Admission");

· and, on 24 March 2021, Mr de Villiers disposed of a total of 600,000 Ordinary Shares at 4.73p per share.

Accordingly, Mr de Villiers has increased his personal holding by 2,400,000 Ordinary Shares. Mr de Villiers now has interests in 58,400,000 Ordinary Shares in the Company, representing a holding of 5.38% of the enlarged issued share capital after the exercise of options referred to above.

Total Voting Rights

The Company's issued share capital will, from Admission, consist of 1,084,677,943 ordinary shares with a nominal value of 0.1p each, with voting rights ("Ordinary Shares"). The Company does not hold any Ordinary Shares in Treasury. Therefore, the total number of Ordinary Shares in the Company with voting rights is 1,084,677,943.

The above figure of 1,084,677,943 Ordinary Shares may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

The following information relating to the transaction has been filed with the FCA in accordance with Article 19(1) of the Market Abuse Regulation,

Michael de Villiers

Contacts:

Editors' Note:

About Ariana Resources:

Ariana is an AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company operating in Europe with an exceptional track-record of creating value for its shareholders through its interests in active mining projects and investments in exploration companies. Its current interests include gold exploration, development and production in Turkey and copper-gold exploration and development projects in Cyprus.

The Company holds a 23.5% interest in Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.S. a joint venture with Özaltin Holding A.S. and Proccea Construction Co. in Turkey which contains a depleted total of c. 2.1 million ounces of gold and other metals (as at July 2020). The joint venture comprises the Kiziltepe Mine and the Tavsan and Salinbas projects.

The Kiziltepe Gold-Silver Mine is located in western Turkey and contains a depleted JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 227,000 ounces gold and 0.7 million ounces silver (as at April 2020). The mine has been in profitable production since 2017 and is expected to produce at a rate of c. 20,000 ounces of gold per annum to at least the mid-2020s. A Net Smelter Return ("NSR") royalty of 2.5% on production is being paid to Franco-Nevada Corporation.

The Tavsan Gold Project is located in western Turkey and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 253,000 ounces gold and 3.7 million ounces silver (as at June 2020). The project is being progressed through permitting and an Environmental Impact Assessment, with the intention of developing the site to become the joint venture's second gold mining operation. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Sandstorm Gold.

The Salinbas Gold Project is located in north-eastern Turkey and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 1.5 million ounces of gold (as at July 2020). It is located within the multi-million-ounce Artvin Goldfield, which contains the "Hot Gold Corridor" comprising several significant gold-copper projects, including the 4 million ounce Hot Maden project, which lies 16km to the south of Salinbas. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Eldorado Gold Corporation.

Ariana is also earning-in to 50% of UK-registered Venus Minerals Ltd ("Venus") and has to date earned into an entitlement to 16%. Venus is focused on the exploration and development of copper-gold assets in Cyprus which contain a combined JORC Inferred Resource of 9.5Mt @ 0.65% copper (excluding additional gold, silver and zinc).

Panmure Gordon (UK) Limited is broker to the Company and Beaumont Cornish Limited is the Company's Nominated Adviser and Broker.

For further information on Ariana you are invited to visit the Company's website at www.arianaresources.com.

Ends.