The Seventh Army was established in 1877 for service in Arabia and the Yemen.

[3] By 1908 it consisted of the 13th and 14th infantry divisions, one cavalry regiment and one artillery regiment[4] and they were involved in combatting insurgent tribesmen in the Yemen.

[5] In August 1917, the army was structured as follows:[6] In late 1917, commanded by Fevzi Pasha, the Seventh Army was ordered to advanced across the desert in order to bring pressure to bear upon Allenby's inland flank in Palestine.

While Allenby attacked the Ottoman Eighth Army, his Australian Mounted Division was sent to hold back the advance of the Seventh Army.

After the British victory in the Battle of Mughar Ridge on 13 November (which did not directly involve the Seventh Army), Fevzi decided to withdraw the Seventh Army to guard Jerusalem.