23 August 2021

AIM: AAU

Exercise of Options under Employee Share Option Plan

Director/PDMR Shareholdings

Total Voting Rights

Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"), the AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with joint-venture gold mining operations in Europe, announces that it received exercise notices under the Ariana Resources PLC 2018 Employee Share Option Plan (the "Notices") as follows:

Name of option holder                     Number of Shares

Christopher Sangster, Director                       2,000,000  

Michael de Villiers, Chairman                         3,000,000

William Payne, Director                                  2,000,000

Accordingly, the Company will issue 7,000,000 new ordinary shares in the Company at a price of 1.55p per share to satisfy the total of 7,000,000 options set out in the Notices ("Option Shares").

Application will be made for the Option Shares, which will rank pari passu with all existing ordinary shares, to be admitted to trading on AIM ("Admission").  Admission is expected on or around 27 August 2021.

Directors' Dealings

The Company were also informed of the following:

Michael de Villiers, Chairman on 20 August 2021

-     sold a total of 3,800,000 ordinary shares at an average price of 4.68 pence;

-     purchased 900,000 ordinary shares in his SIPP at an average price of 4.85 pence.

Mrs de Villiers, wife of Michael de Villiers on 20 August 2021

-     purchased 900,000 ordinary shares in her SIPP at an average price of 4.81 pence.

Kerim Sener, Managing Director on 20 August 2021

-     purchased 160,000 ordinary shares in his SIPP at 4.78 pence.

Following Admission, and the Directors' Dealings as described above, the Directors shareholdings will be as follows:

Name of Director                  Number of Shares                % of issued share capital

Christopher Sangster              5,927,287                                0.54

Michael John de Villiers          59,400,000                              5.44

William Payne                         11,359,314                              1.74

Kerim Sener                            20,817,526                              1.91

Total Voting Rights

Following Admission, the number of shares in issue will be ordinary shares of 0.1p each and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company will be 1,091,677,943.

The above statement of voting capital may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest, or a change to their interest, in the Company under the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

Contacts:

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

Christopher Sangster

Michael de Villiers

William Payne

Kerim Sener