After the defeat of the Egyptian forces in Palestine in 1948, a modernization programme in the army was started. In 1949 the 2nd Infantry Division was formed and it compromised 3 Infantry Regiments and 1 Reconnaissance Regiment. However the division never participated in the Suez Crisis. The division's first engagement was in the North Yemen Civil War along the other Egyptian units there. Ahmed Ismail Ali commanded the division from 1957/58 (exact date unclear) to 1960.