King Felipe VI of Spain | Pool photo by Borja Benito/Getty Images Spanish king visiting Saudis to strike warship deal: reports Local media speculates Spanish monarch will help seal billion-euro contract.

Spain's King Felipe will embark on a three-day tour of Saudi Arabia on Saturday, with local media speculating he may use the opportunity to close a multi-billion euro warship deal with Riyadh, AFP reported Friday.

Saudi Arabia last year sought to buy five Avante 2200 corvettes, built in Spain by state-owned ship building company Navantia, but the deal has yet to be finalized.

"We can only confirm that negotiations are very advanced," a spokesman for Navantia told AFP. The deal is mooted to be worth €2 billion, though local paper La Voz de Galicia reported last year it could total as much as €3 billion.

Those who oppose it argue the sale breaches international law and accuse the Saudis of war crimes in Yemen. Amnesty International alleges the proposed sale violates the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, which bans sales of weapons that could be used to attack civilians.

Unions say the deal would bring 2,000 jobs to Spain's shipbuilding industry, according to AFP.

Spain is the world's seventh largest arms exporter.