[cid:image002.gif@01CBB94F.B64AEE30][cid:image003.jpg@01CBB94F.B64AEE30] 21 January 2011 AIM / PLUS Markets: AAU �5 MILLION STANDBY EQUITY DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT Ariana Resources plc ("Ariana" or "the Company"), the gold exploration and development company focused on Turkey, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a �5 million Standby Equity Distribution Agreement ("SEDA") with YA Global Master SPV Ltd, an investment fund managed by Yorkville Advisors LLC ("Yorkville").

This arrangement provides enhanced access to capital, if required, for significant project and investment decisions expected in the medium term, as well as flexible financing for the Red Rabbit Gold Project as it approaches the production phase. Highlights: � �5 million SEDA facility to provide an alternative and readily accessible route to capital at prices close to market prices for project specific purposes. � SEDA provides a platform from which the Company can develop its financing strategy for the Red Rabbit Gold Project, and other potential acquisitions and project investments. Dr.

Kerim Sener, Managing Director, commented: "We are delighted to have entered into the SEDA with Yorkville.

The SEDA will provide Ariana with ready access to capital and help expedite the progress of our flagship Red Rabbit Gold Project through feasibility as well as enhancing the ability of the Company to take advantage of new opportunities, some of which are at an advanced stage of evaluation."
Details of SEDA Facility Subject to its terms, the �5 million SEDA facility can be drawn upon at the discretion of the Company.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ariana may draw down on funds over a period of up to three years in exchange for the issue of New Ordinary Shares.

The Ordinary Shares issued by the Company will be at a 5% discount to the prevailing market price during the 10 day pricing period of a draw down.

The Company may also set a minimum price for each draw down.

The maximum advance that may be requested is 200% of the average daily trading volume of Ordinary Shares multiplied by the volume weighted average price of such shares for each of the 10 trading days prior to the draw down request.

The facility may only be drawn down upon once every 10 days.

A fee of �150,000 payable out of the first draw down secures the SEDA facility.
Contacts: Ariana Resources plc Tel: +44 (0) 20 7407 3616 Michael Spriggs, Chairman
Kerim Sener, Managing Director
Beaumont Cornish Limited Tel: +44 (0) 20 7628 3396 Roland Cornish
Alexander David Securities Limited Tel: +44 (0) 20 7448 9820 Nick Bealer / David Scott
Loeb Aron & Company Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 20 7628 1128 Jonathan Willis-Richards / Frank Lucas
St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 20 7236 1177 Hugo de Salis
Susie Geliher
Editors note: About Yorkville Advisors and Yorkville Advisors UK Yorkville Advisors UK, LLP is a sub-advisor to the US-based alternative investment manager Yorkville Advisors, LLC. Founded in January 2001 by Mark Angelo, Yorkville specializes in providing flexible, innovative debt and equity investments and financing in publicly listed companies in a variety of sectors including energy, mining, technology media & telecommunication (TMT), healthcare and shipping. Yorkville tailors its financings according to each companys need and offers a mix of debt structures, bridge financings, asset backed loans, equity facilities and, in some cases, equity injections. Yorkville has offices in Jersey City, New Jersey; Jupiter, Florida; Denver, Colorado; London and Hong Kong as well as a joint venture agreement in Milan, Italy. www.yorkvilleadvisors.com
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 geological and remote-sensing database, on its own in western Turkey and in a Joint Venture with European Goldfields Limited in north-eastern Turkey.

European Goldfields owns 51% of this joint venture and, as the operator, is fully funding all exploration work on the JV properties until delivery of a feasibility study. The Companys flagship asset is the Red Rabbit project, which contains the Kiziltepe and Tavsan sectors.

The project contains a series of prospects, within two prolific mineralised districts in the Western Anatolian Volcanic and Extensional (WAVE) Province in western Turkey.

This Province hosts the largest operating gold mines in Turkey and remains highly prospective for new porphyry and epithermal deposits.

The Kiziltepe and Tavsan sectors, which are separated by a distance of 75km, are presently being assessed as to their economic merits and now form part of a Joint Venture with Proccea Construction Co.

The total resource inventory of the Company stands at 448,000 ounces of gold equivalent. Ariana also has a strategic investment in Tigris Resources Limited (www.tigrisresources.com), a private Jersey-based exploration company, which is focused on the exploration of copper and gold deposits in southeastern Turkey.

Ariana retains 15% of Tigris Resources Limited. Loeb Aron & Company Ltd.

and Alexander David Securities Limited are joint brokers to the Company and Beaumont Cornish Limited is the Companys Nominated Adviser. For further information on Ariana you are invited to visit the Companys website at www.arianaresources.com. Ends
Lottie Brocklehurst St Brides Media & Finance Ltd Chaucer House 38 Bow Lane London EC4M 9AY T: +44 (0) 207 236 1177 M: +44 (0) 7917 010 468 F: +44 (0) 207 236 1188 www.sbmf.co.uk