Substantial Shareholding

7 March 2008
AIM / PLUS Markets: AAU

                      SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDING

Ariana Resources plc  ("the Company"), the  gold exploration  company
focused on Turkey, announces that it received notification on 6 March
2008 that Starvest plc, further to an acquisition of 4,200,000 Shares
on 5 March 2008, now  owns 16,456,000 Shares, representing a  holding
in the Company's issued share capital of 23.09%.

Contacts:


+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Ariana Resources plc             | Tel: [phone] |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Michael Spriggs, Chairman        |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Kerim Sener, Managing Director   |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
|                                  |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Beaumont Cornish Limited         | Tel: [phone] |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Roland Cornish                   |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
|                                  |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Bankside Consultants             | Tel: [phone] |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Michael Padley / Louise Davis    |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
|                                  |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Loeb Aron & Company Limited      | Tel: [phone] |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Peter Freeman / Frank Lucas      |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
|                                  |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| City Capital Corporation Limited | Tel: [phone] |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
| Charles Dampney                  |                    |
|----------------------------------+--------------------|
|                                  |                    |
+-------------------------------------------------------+


Editors' note:

About Ariana Resources

Ariana is a dynamic exploration company focused on the discovery  and
development  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 selected on the  basis of its advanced  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.

Loeb Aron & Company Limited and City Capital Corporation 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.

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