AGM Statement and Board Change

9 July 2008 AIM / PLUS Markets: AAU AGM STATEMENT AND BOARD CHANGE At today's Annual General Meeting of Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"), the gold exploration and development company focused on Turkey, Michael Spriggs, Chairman, made the following comments: "In the last year Ariana has developed its regional strategy, carried out additional drilling and is steadily expanding its resource base. A new JORC compliant statement for Kiziltepe is underway, and new drilling programmes are being planned for both Kiziltepe and Tavsan. The current resource inventory has doubled in the last year to 300,000 ounces gold equivalent and we are optimistic that there will be further increases with new drilling. "Since August 2007 we have drilled over 6,000 metres at the Kiziltepe prospect, mainly at the Arzu North and South veins, together with exploratory drilling at four further veins. Through the year we have reported positive drilling results from the Arzu South, Arzu North, Banu and Vein 4 veins. "Since the year end we have completed two corporate transactions that have the potential to transform the Company. We have acquired the Tavsan Project, a total of 10 licences that add total resources of approximately 140,000 ounces gold equivalent to the resource inventory. Here we plan to undertake additional drilling to increase resources and to initiate a scoping study for a heap-leach operation. "Also, in May we finalised a joint venture with European Goldfields. Under the terms of the agreement the joint venture company will develop Ariana's properties in north-eastern Turkey, a total of 16 licences including the Ardala copper-gold porphyry. Under the agreement, European Goldfields will fund the development of these highly prospective properties and the monies raised from their subscription for 20% of the equity in Ariana will be used to fund the further development of our other properties. We also welcome David Reading, CEO of European Goldfields, to the Board. As partners, the companies are ideally matched and David brings a new layer of operational and corporate skills to Ariana. "It is with much regret that I announce that Mike Etheridge has withdrawn his application for re-election to the Board. This is for purely personal reasons and he will be missed. The Board would like to thank him for his outstanding positive contribution to the development of the Company since 2005, and wish him well for the future. "Ariana is now poised for substantial growth. In the current year we expect to announce a revised resource estimate and we are confident that our target of 1 million ounces is achievable via our own exploration programmes and further acquisitions in western Turkey. We are intending to complete formal scoping studies at Kiziltepe and Tavsan during the course of 2008 to determine their potential as mines. "Finally, I would like to thank our employees for their dedication and hard work without whom we could not have achieved the success that we have had to date." Resolution five, to re-elect M.A. Etheridge as Director, was withdrawn, as explained above. All other resolutions were duly passed. Contacts: Ariana Resources plc Tel: 020 7407 3616 Michael Spriggs, Chairman Kerim Sener, Managing Director Beaumont Cornish Limited Tel: 020 7628 3396 Roland Cornish Lothbury Financial Tel: 020 7011 9411 Michael Padley / Louise Davis Loeb Aron & Company Ltd Tel: 020 7628 1128 Peter Freeman / Frank Lucas City Capital Corporation Limited Tel: 020 7842 5867 Charles Dampney Alexander David Securities Limited Tel: 020 7448 9800 Nick Bealer / David Scott Editors' note: About Ariana Resources Ariana is an exploration and development company focused on epithermal gold-silver and porphyry copper-gold deposits in Turkey. The Company is exploring a portfolio of prospective licences selected on the basis of its in-house remote-sensing database. The Company's flagship asset is the Sindirgi Gold Project, which targets a series of prospects, within a prolific mineralised district in western Turkey. The project hosts over 45km of gold-silver bearing epithermal quartz veins. This project is presently being assessed as to its economic merits. Loeb Aron & Company Ltd., City Capital Corporation Limited and Alexander David Securities Limited are joint 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. Ends ---END OF MESSAGE---