Dubai has become the leading holiday destination in the Gulf and its fame has spread worldwide. Winter is especially popular with tourists; the weather is warm and sunny, the beach attracts the tourists by day and the social scene keeps the evening busy. New world class facilities including hotels, beach resorts and sport clubs open their doors for business. By the end of 2001, there were 264 hotels n Dubai with a number of others under construction- including some that would be the envy of any other city in the world. Much of Dubai's social life revolves around the five-star hotels which are among the best in the world and which, paradoxically, are also among the least expensive.