This cemetery is within the Abbasiya cemetery complex, in the area known as Gebbel al Ahdal (Green Mountain Area), approximately 10 kilometres east of Cairo city centre. Visitors are advised to be accompanied and would best reach the cemetery by private car or taxi. The cemetery complex can be reached by use of the 'autostrada', this is the main dual carriageway which passes near the Citadel on the way to Nasr City. Approximately 200 metres diagonally opposite the entrance to the 'Arab Contractors Hospital' a road leads north from the autostrada and the cemetery complex gate is approximately 50 metres from this junction on the right.

The cemetery is reached on foot, passing around a centrally placed memorial building and then turning left between privately owned vaults and memorials. The cemetery is in fact a plot surrounded by a low stone wall and the 11 Hindu and 64 Mohammedan commemorations are upon separate memorials located in the front right of the plot.

At the outbreak of the First World War, Cairo was the headquarters of the United Kingdom garrison in Egypt and it became, with Alexandria, the main base hospital centre for operations in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine. At El Abbasiya there were established a remount depot, Indian general hospitals and field ambulances, a prisoners of war hospital, a cremation ground, and this cemetery, which was used from May 1918 to December 1920. There are now a total of 75 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War commemorated in this cemetery.