Been here five years, and this is as specific a warning as I can remember getting, from the U.S. embassy.

We have gotten generic warnings about avoiding travel to Syria or Egypt or Libya or … well, fill in the blank of a regional country that has issues with stability since 2009.

But this is the first that suggests danger to Americans is possible right here in the peaceful, even bucolic (aside from Dubai) UAE. And dangerous, in specific, to Americans who teach at (or attend) schools here.

Americans abroad can sign up with the local embassy and get all their alerts. One came in this morning.

Here are the key bits: “The mission is working with local schools … to review their security posture. US citizens residing in or visiting the UAE should remain vigilant regarding personal security and be alert to local security developments.”

And then they got back to the standard cautious stuff. Avoid crowds, avoid demonstrations, stay away from violence.

Not really many Americans in the UAE. But a fairly significant percentage of them seem to be teachers. The pay here is usually better then what they can get back home and they can avoid paying U.S. taxes if they don’t go home for more than 30 days a year. It’s a bit of an adventure, too. The upsides can be significant.

Terror in the UAE?

First, that would require terrorists at large here, and given the lack of examples of terror, you as a terrorists in the UAE would be an anomaly.

But if a theoretical terrorist was in the country, looking for targets, well, I’m not giving away any secrets that schools might be a place to find a Yank or two.  Especially those schools with “American” in the name.

(At the same time, I doubt Americans make up a majority — teachers or kids — at any school in the UAE, including “American” schools. “American” is first and foremost about curriculum, as opposed to British or Indian.)

As you might imagine, the embassy warning got the attention of local schools. Lots of calls from parents to administrators. They did what they could do, which was assure parents they were “monitoring the situation” closely. At least one school said it was increasing security.

Why is this happening now? Assuming there was any threat at all, let alone a credible one?

The UAE recently has done bombing missions against the Islamic State and also against extremists in Libya. That perhaps puts the UAE into the fevered thinking of the jihadis; IS has asked followers to attack Americans anywhere they can reach them, which could be Mainstreet USA, as well as overseas.

Despite the warning, I do not feel in greater danger. I find it perhaps telling, given political developments.

But embassies like to be on the safe side, and the “neighborhood” over here, from Libya, Egypt and Syria to Yemen, is probably is dangerous as it has been in quite some time.