PurposeThis study investigates the effect of strategic internal critical factors on strategic alliance performance in an emerging market, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachMultivariate statistical analysis technique Partial Least Square-Squared Equation Model is used for data analysis considering a survey of 260 alliance managers.FindingsEnvironmental complexity moderates the relationship between strategic internal critical factors and strategic performance. A significant positive effect of strategic internal critical factors on corporation strategic performance was found. It suggests that environment and strategic alliance enable alliance managers and decision-makers to translate alliance strategies and improve the overall organization’s performance outcome, productivity, efficiency, availability of a product and profitability.Practical implicationsThe findings disseminate beneficial implications for alliance managers regarding how they can best use their capability to maximize alliance performance. Realizing the antecedents of strategic alliance performance allows a manager to be sensitive about the influent factors and try to improve the alliance performance.Originality/valueThis paper shows how to create associations between interfirm coordination as a framework of new ventures for implementing radical technological change, firm performance in the post-innovation period, industry and firm innovative output.