Xinhai Mining Invests AUD11 Million in Ariana Resources, Becoming Major Shareholder to Boost Zimbabwe Gold Project

December 9, 2025 - Ariana Resources PLC (AIM: AAU; ASX: AAU), the UK-listed mineral exploration and development company, announced today a strategic cooperation agreement with Shandong Xinhai Mining Technology & Equipment Inc. ("Xinhai Mining"), a leading mining EPC contractor. Under the agreement, Xinhai Mining will inject AUD11 million into Ariana Resources, securing the position of its largest shareholder and the right to nominate one director to the board.

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Listed on both the London Stock Exchange's AIM market and the Australian Securities Exchange, Ariana Resources boasts an impressive track record in mineral project development and investment across multiple jurisdictions. Its asset portfolio spans key mineral-producing regions:

Zimbabwe: Host to a gold development project with reserves exceeding 1 million ounces
Turkey: Holding gold production interests
Cyprus & Kosovo: Advancing exploration and development projects for copper, gold, silver, and zinc ores

The company's flagship asset, the Dokwe Gold Mine in Zimbabwe, stands out as a large-scale undeveloped gold project with exceptional potential. The mine's mineralized zone stretches 12 kilometers in total strike length, while only approximately 10% of this area has been explored to date. With 81,000 meters of drilling completed, the project has confirmed JORC-compliant gold resources of 1.1 million ounces (about 34 tons) at an average grade of 1.5 g/t, qualifying it as a large-scale open-pit mine suitable for efficient development.

Plans for the Dokwe Gold Mine include the construction of a 2.5 million tonne-per-annum carbon-in-pulp (CIP) plant, with an estimated annual gold production of 3 tons once operational.

Klim, Chairman of Ariana Resources, extended a warm welcome to Xinhai Mining's strategic participation. "Xinhai Mining has an established reputation in Zimbabwe with numerous successful project deliveries, including the completion of a large-scale lithium flotation plant within one year and multiple gold mine projects," he noted. "We are confident that Xinhai's expertise will significantly accelerate the construction progress of the Dokwe Gold Mine and ensure the project achieves design capacity on schedule."

Zhang Yunlong, Chairman of Xinhai Mining, emphasized the strategic significance of the investment: "This collaboration marks Xinhai's deeper penetration into the Zimbabwean mining market, a region with immense potential amid Africa's growing mining sector," he stated. "Leveraging our 'Mining Whole Industry Chain Service (EPC+M+O)' capability, we will fully exert our comprehensive advantages in mining engineering—whether for projects we hold independently or in partnership with clients—to drive project success and contribute Xinhai's strength to the global mining industry."

Xinhai’s Proven Experience in Zimbabwe

Xinhai has a solid history of project execution in Zimbabwe, including:

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