In this study we investigated the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oils of Artemisia herba-alba (A. herba-alb) collected in El-Bayadh province, Algeria. The essential oils (EOs) were obtained using steam distillation method and analyzed using a gas chromatograph coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The in vitro antimicrobial activity against five pathogenic bacteria was evaluated. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were also determined using the macrodilution technique. The obtained essential oil yield was 0.81%, and GC-MS analyses resulted in the identification of 43 compounds, making up 96.09% of the total EO composition. Oxygenated monoterpenes were the major class of compounds (51.6%). The main compounds were camphor (33.98%), chrysanthenone (13.7%), camphene (8.35%), dovanone (6.53%), 1,8-Cineol (5.38%), borneol (4.22%), filifolone (2.55%), and pinocarvone (2.24%). The essential oils of A. herba-alb exhibited promising antibacterial effects against tested bacteria, with inhibitory diameter values values ranging from 12 to 19 mm, and MIC values ranging from 0.312 to 5 μl/ml. These results suggest their significant potential use as control agents against a wide spectrum of pathogens.