Holding in Company

Ariana Resources PLC
23 May 2006

23 May 2006

AIM: AAU

                               HOLDING IN COMPANY


Ariana Resources plc ('Ariana' or 'the Company'), the gold exploration company
focused exclusively on Turkey, was notified on 19 May 2006 that City Equities
Limited had purchased 3,600,770 ordinary shares in the Company's placing
announced on 11 May 2006, representing 7.69% of the enlarged issued share
capital.


Following the sale of all of these shares to certain of its private customers,
acting as principal, City Equities Limited no longer has a notifiable interest
in the issued share capital of the 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
multi-million ounce potential epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold
deposits 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.


                      This information is provided by RNS
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