Directors' Shareholdings

Ariana Resources PLC
03 July 2006

                                  


03 July 2006
AIM: AAU

                         DIRECTOR SHAREHOLDING


Ariana Resources plc ('Ariana' or 'the Company'), the gold exploration company
focused exclusively on Turkey, has been notified that on 30th June 2006 certain
directors purchased, directly or through an investment company, ordinary shares
of 1p each in the Company as follows:

Director        Position               Shares                  Total      Percentage
                                      Purchased                           of Issued
                                                  Average    beneficial     Share
                                                 Pence per    holding      Capital
                                                   share

Steven Poulton  Chief Executive        35,000       11.95   2,716,933 *     5.80%

Matthew         Operations Director    21,000       11.95   1,653,267 **    3.53%
Grainger

Michael de      Non executive          34,333       12.01     201,000 ***   0.43%
Villiers        Director

Notes:          * Includes 239,833 shares held by Mr Poulton's wife
                ** Includes 49,000 shares held by Mr Grainger's wife
                *** Includes 166,667 shares held by Mr de Villiers's investment
                    company





Contacts:

Ariana Resources plc
Steven Poulton, Chief Executive                               Tel: [phone]
[e-mail]@arianaresources.com    Mobile: [phone]

Bankside Consultants
Michael Padley / Susan Scott                                  Tel: [phone]


About Ariana Resources

Ariana is a technology-driven exploration company focused on the discovery of
epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold deposits with multi-million
ounce potential within the Tethyan metallogenic belt of Turkey. The Company has
a portfolio of prospective licences covering approximately 1,000km2, selected on
the basis of its advanced in-house remote sensing database. Ariana's broker is
Ambrian Partners Limited and Beaumont Cornish Limited is the Company's nominated
adviser. For further information on Ariana you are invited to visit the
Company's website at www.arianaresources.com.



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