Open Access emerged as a revolutionary movement in Western societies in order to solve the current scholarly communication system crises. Its diffusion in Arab countries took place in a research environment that mostly lacks national research agendas and adequate research budgets. The study aimed at exploring in detail and interpreting how participants are making sense of their lived experience with Open Access. The study adopted a phenomenological approach using Interpretative phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. The study concluded to the following main results: The concept of Open Access is cultural response against the dominant Western concept. Its diffusion is still limited and beset by many individual and external barriers The impact of Open Access adoption remains debatable, especially since scientific publishing, Open Access included, is not an isolated industry from the dominant global economic, political and technological situation