2 July 2025

AIM: AAU

NEW GOLD ANOMALY IDENTIFIED NEXT TO DOKWE NORTH

Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"), the AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company with gold project interests in Africa and Europe, is pleased to announce an exploration update for the 100% owned Dokwe Gold Project ("Dokwe" or "the Project") in Zimbabwe.

Highlights:

·    Significant 500m long gold-in-soil anomaly, identified 125m along strike of the planned Dokwe North pit rim using Portable X-ray-Fluorescence ("pXRF") coupled with novel and innovative use of detectORE^TM technology.

·   Anomaly is geochemically significant, with a near coincident and partially overlapping gold and arsenic signature almost identical to that seen above the Dokwe North mineralisation.

·    Further demonstration of the potential of Dokwe to host a multi-million-ounce exploration and development opportunity.

·   Proximity of the new discovery area to the planned Dokwe North open pit prioritises this area for drill-testing.

Dr. Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented:

"This is a highly significant gold-in-soil anomaly, supported by other geochemical and geological information, which must be tested through drilling as a priority. There is potential in this area to identify an extension to the Dokwe North mineralised zone, immediately along strike to the northeast and only 125m from the planned pit rim.

"Today's news reveals an exciting new development for Dokwe, which could greatly improve our development plans for the Project. Over the past few months, the team has successfully expanded the detection capabilities of the detectORE^TM technology by implementing the latest innovations to locate buried gold mineralisation. The discovery of this anomaly aligns with everything we have learnt about the Dokwe mineralisation style and its geological context, as well as the dispersal patterns of trace elements in the soil profile above the orebody.

"Importantly, this breakthrough also demonstrates how detectORE™ can be applied regionally. We are now preparing to deploy these technologies across the broader Bulawayo-Bubi Greenstone Belt - particularly in concealed, underexplored areas - with the aim of determining whether Dokwe forms part of a larger, camp-scale cluster of deposits. Similar systems are evident in exposed sections of the belt, and we believe this region remains one of the most prospective, yet underexplored gold provinces in southern Africa.

"We have been very successful in adopting and implementing detectORE™ technology and are leaders in applying the technique in this particular manner. This has dramatically reduced our target generation time and allowed us to identify a potential new zone of mineralisation in under six months. I would like to thank the Dokwe team for their outstanding work."

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK Domestic Law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("UK MAR").

Dokwe North Exploration Update

The Dokwe Gold Project in Zimbabwe hosts the million-ounce Dokwe gold deposits, which are progressing towards a Feasibility Study ("FS"). An ongoing regional soil sampling programme continues to expand to cover the entire project area (42km²), with multi-element portable X-Ray Fluorescence ("pXRF") geochemical analyses. Thus far, 6,139 samples have been collected and analysed. This work has led to the discovery of a new gold-in-soil anomaly to the northeast of Dokwe North (Figure 1), contributing to some important modifications to the planned mine site layout for the FS.

A series of mining and processing optimisation scenarios is currently being run by Whittle Consulting ("Whittle") to assist with key decision-making ahead of more detailed project feasibility work. To complement the Whittle work, Ariana is undertaking several parallel studies to support and expand the technical data currently held for the Dokwe deposits, resulting in improved geological models and a better understanding of the nature and siting of the gold. In conjunction with this, the team is reviewing regional geophysics, drilling and soil geochemical datasets in order to evaluate near-mine and regional exploration opportunities within the Dokwe Project Area, and to assist in sterilising areas to enable planning for the mine site layouts.

Figure 1: Plan view (top) and cross-section (bottom), Dokwe North, highlighting the gold-in-soil anomaly to the northeast of the proposed pit (the balls representing samples in the cross-section have the same colour coding as in the map). The north-south detectORE^TM sampling line across the pit was an orientation survey undertaken by Ariana, indicating the level of anomalism that could be expected from the application of the technology and thereby providing confidence in the defined anomalies within the peripheral area. The new target area for drilling is shown in the cross-section.

Dokwe North: Extension

The pXRF soil sampling programme to the northeast of Dokwe North identified an arsenic anomaly (4-8ppm through cover). This prompted follow-up with detectORE^TM gold analysis, which highlighted a gold-in-soil anomaly in detectORE^TM Units (dU) (Figure 1). The anomaly trends north-eastwards for approximately 500 metres and shares a similar trend to the mineralisation identified at Dokwe North. There is no drilling within the immediate target area, making this a highly significant exploration target that offers an opportunity to discover an extension to the Dokwe North deposit. The target will be drilled at the earliest opportunity.

The new Dokwe North "Extension" soil anomaly is consistent with the geological and mineralisation models derived from the Dokwe deposit studies. The deposit is characterised by anastamosing, sub-vertical shear zones as the primary control on mineralisation, particularly where they interact with lithological contacts and internal heterogeneities (such as amygdales) within the host volcanoclastic rock sequence. When seen in drill core or under the microscope, coarse gold appears not to be bound in gangue minerals, and very late in the deformation history, with a significant amount likely to be amenable to liberation at a moderate grind size, and gravity recovery (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Visible gold in amygdaloidal dacite, Dokwe North, seen under reflected light microscopy, filling voids and cracks amongst pyrite grains, in amygdale and pyrite pressure shadows, and in fractures in quartz veins. Gold is interpreted to be late, and should be readily liberated and amenable to recovery in a gravity circuit.

The detectORE™ Process Outline

Under normal circumstances, gold cannot be measured in geological samples using pXRF due to its low concentration and the presence of interfering metals (caused by peak overlap). The detectORE™ process overcomes the limitations of pXRF by leaching the gold from the sample using a lixiviant ("GLIX-20™") and a Collector Device ("CD"). GLIX-20™ is a powerful lixiviant with good selectivity for gold and allows for a simple and safe process, practical for in-field use. The CD selectively concentrates dissolved gold, enabling measurement by pXRF. Fundamentally, detectORE™ is a sample analysis technique that enables exploration geologists to measure trace concentrations of gold in geological samples using a pXRF. Ariana Resources are world leaders in applying this technology, and work at Dokwe takes the method to its limits by analysing gold at the very low levels required for successful exploration soil geochemistry.

Contacts:

Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter referred to in it.

Editors' Note:

The information that relates to Mineral Resources and Exploration Results are based upon information compiled by Mr. Zack van Coller BSc (Hons), Targeting Group Leader, Ariana Resources plc. Mr. van Coller is a Fellow of The Geological Society of London, and has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposits under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined by the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code). Mr. van Coller has over 10 years of relevant experience in the Technical Assessments of Mineral Properties. Mr. van Coller consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this announcement that relates to exploration results is based on information compiled by Dr. Kerim Sener BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD, Managing Director of Ariana Resources plc. Dr. Sener is a Fellow of The Geological Society of London and a Member of The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and has sufficient experience relevant to the styles of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity that has been undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined by the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for the Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) and under the AIM Rules - Note for Mining and Oil & Gas Companies. Dr. Sener consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

About Ariana Resources:

Ariana is an AIM-listed mineral exploration and development company 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 a major gold development project in Zimbabwe, gold production in Türkiye and copper-gold exploration and development projects in Cyprus and Kosovo.

Ariana owns 100% of the Dokwe Gold Project ("Dokwe") in Zimbabwe. Dokwe is made up of the Dokwe North and Dokwe Central gold deposits which are located in the Tsholotsho District near the city of Bulawayo. The deposits have a combined in-pit JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of over 1.42 million ounces of gold (as at March 2025) and the project represents the largest undeveloped gold project in Zimbabwe.

The Company holds 23.5% interest in Zenit Madencilik San. ve Tic. A.S. a joint venture with Ozaltin Holding A.S. and Proccea Construction Co. in Türkiye which contains a depleted total of c. 2.2 million ounces gold equivalent (as at March 2024, using a price ratio of 90 Ag to 1 Au). The joint venture comprises the Kiziltepe and Tavsan mines and the Salinbas project.

The Kiziltepe Gold-Silver Mine is located in western Türkiye and contains a depleted JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 171,700 ounces gold and 3.3 million ounces silver (as at March 2024). The mine has been in profitable production since 2017 and has been producing at an average rate of c.22,000 ounces of gold per annum. A Net Smelter Return ("NSR") royalty of 2.5% on production is being paid to Franco-Nevada Corporation.

The Tavsan Gold Mine is located in western Türkiye and contains a JORC Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 311,000 ounces gold and 1.1 million ounces silver (as at March 2024). Following the approval of its Environmental Impact Assessment and associated permitting, Tavsan is being developed as the second gold mining operation in Türkiye and is currently in construction. A NSR royalty of up to 2% on future production is payable to Sandstorm Gold.

The Salinbas Gold Project is located in north-eastern Türkiye 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 owns 76% of UK-registered Western Tethyan Resources Ltd ("WTR"), which operates across south-eastern Europe and is based in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo. The company is targeting its exploration on major copper-gold deposits across the porphyry-epithermal transition. WTR is being funded through a five-year Alliance Agreement with Newmont Ventures Limited (www.newmont.com) and is separately earning-in to up to 85% of the Slivova Gold Project.

Ariana owns 61% of UK-registered Venus Minerals PLC ("Venus") which is focused on the exploration and development of copper-gold projects in Cyprus, some of which are in application, containing a combined JORC Indicated and Inferred Resource of 16.6Mt @ 0.45% to 0.80% copper (excluding additional gold, silver and zinc).

Ariana owns several investments in listed and private companies via its Australian subsidiary Asgard Metals Pty. Ltd. ("Asgard"), which also provides technical input into the various investee company exploration programmes. Investments have been made in high-value potential, discovery-stage mineral exploration companies located across the Eastern Hemisphere and within easy reach of Ariana's operational hubs in Australia, Türkiye, UK and Zimbabwe. Its most advanced interest is through a 4.1% holding of Panther Metals Limited (ASX: PNT).

Zeus Capital Limited, Fortified Securities and Shaw and Partners are the brokers to the Company 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.

Glossary of Technical Terms:

"Au" chemical symbol for gold;

"g/t" grams per tonne;

"km" Kilometres;

"m" Metres; 

Ends.